IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


mM 


1.25   ||U 

1.6 

-* 6"     - 

► 

//I 


^' 


o 


>> 


"4V^ 


/S« 


/ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTIR,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4S03 


f\ 


iV 


;\^ 


\ 


.<"  ^ 


v^ 


o^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


□ 


□ 


□ 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagee 

□    Cov 
Cou 


□ 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
verture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul^e 


□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  tit 


titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

I      I    Coloured  plates  ard/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid)  .:^vec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  dur<ng  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Wnenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6X6  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m6thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu^s  ci-dessous. 


I      I    Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 


n    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 

0    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolordes,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 

□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tach^es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualitd  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I      I    Showthrough/ 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


□ 


Q    Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film^es  A  nouveau  de  fagon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film^  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

Itir  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmad  hara  hat  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Div^iion 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  and  anding  on  the  last  page  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  impression. 


Tha  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUPO"),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  ara  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'examplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnArosit*  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

LtfS  images  suivantas  ont  tt6  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  da  la  condition  at 
de  la  nattat*  da  I'axamplaire  film*,  at  an 
coi^'orrr  jt6  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Les  examplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimAa  sont  filmis  an  commandant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darni^ra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainte 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  axemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  an  commanpant  par  la 
premiere  paga  qui  comporta  una  ampreinte 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  paga  qui  comporta  una  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  y  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  6tre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich*,  il  est  film*  *  partir 
da  Tangle  sup*rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  *  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  n*cessairp.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  m*thode. 


1 

2 

a 

1 


6 


■VniSILIIiUi        I    ■W"! 


^^$1 


■:  p.-- 


Ikf^W^    'W : 


^V"' 


WllA!.l.\<i  SCI:m;  INIIII:   (  AI.IIMHtMA   LACiOONS 


r' 


tl  i 


i     \  u  ric\, 


\'<  f 


7.    V'i   I-    I 


.'I    ^^    ^\"};l  \IJ:-KIs;-I1J-:V 


:  <    \  '.(MO  N, 


W        ')«M.^ 


^  .\  !•      C  (;  M  I    AX  V 


•■■ 


•tr-' 


'^. 


i 


f*,. 


I- 


i,./:^ 


'^^.:# 


■u.,-^.  ->*   '' 


fev.^^^l¥' 


(i1  I 


,■»>. 


"^ 


S^^;^" 


>  »■  I  I  A  !    i  ^  <  i    S  •  ■  4      N   .        1  ^  ,■  1   .  ^  *     ■'  '     «   ^  ♦  i 


''•^' 


THE 


MARINE  MAMMALS 


North-western  Coast  of  North  America, 


DESCRIBED    AND    ILLUSTRATED: 


TliCKlMlCK    Wrnl    AN    ACCOINT    (IF 


THE    AMERICAN  WHALE-FISHERY. 


BY 


CHARLES    M.    SCAMMON, 

CAITAIN   V.  S.  KliVKNUK  MARINE. 


S  A  >•     F  R  A  X  C  I S  C  O  : 
JOHN      H.     CAR  MANY     AND      COMPANY. 

NKW   YORK:    C.    P.    I'l'TXAM'S   SONS. 
1874. 


Entered  acioniing  to  Act  of  Con^^iess,  in  the  year  eighteen  h timire J  and  seventy -t-xvo. 

By  CHARLES  Af.  SCAAfA/O.V, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Lihraiian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


•JOHS  H,   CARMANV  &-  CO.,    /'Kt.VJIiRS, 
409  WttthtH^UH  Strcctt  San  /•>-.? wrw*. 


.i! 


THIS     VOLUME      IS     DEDICATKD     TO     THE     MEMORY     OK 


LOUIS    AGASSIZ. 


AS     A     HUMllLE     TRIBLTK     IROM     THE     AUTHOR. 


• '. 


Pbeface 


ClIAl 


TER 


I. 
II. 
III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX 


Inthoduction 

Chapter     I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

"         V. 

VI. 

"      VII. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction  . 


PART   I. -CKT.VCKA, 


The  Californu  Gray  Whale 

The  Finback  Whale 

The  Humpback  Whale 

The 


pAdK 

11 


17 
20 

38 


Shahp-headed  Finneb  Whale 4, 


!) 
0-2 
(J(i 


The  Bowhead,  or  Great  Polar  Whale 

The  Eight  Whale  of  the  Nortf- western  Coast 

The  '>rT  i'murbottom  AVhale Yy 

The  SPER.M  Whale 
The  Dolphins 


Seiilon      I. 
II. 

in. 

IV. 
V. 

VI 
"  VII 
"     VIII 

IX. 

X. 

XL 
"  A7/. 
"  XIH. 
"  XIV. 
"  XV. 
"     XVI 


74 

85 


88 
'.)3 
95 
98 
99 


The  Blackfish   '  j^g 

The  Oica,  or  Killer 

The  Whitefish,  or  White  Whale ............  ...... 

The  Bay  Porpoise 

The  Striped  or  Common  Porpoise 

BainVs  Dolphin 

The  Eight  Whale  Porpoise joj 

The  Cowfish jq. 

The  Whitehcatlecl  or  Mottlod  Grampus 103 

The  Bottlenosed  Grampus jno 

The  Panama  Grampus jq< 

The  Puget  Sound  Grampus jqS 

The  San  Diego  Bay  Grampus jQg 

The  Squareheuded  Grampus jyg 

The  Bfownsided  Dolphin  of  Santa  Burbara  Channel .".  lOG 

The  Narwhal 107 


PART  II.-PINMPEDIA, 


The  Sea  Elephant. 

The  Sea  Iiion 

The  Banded  Seal  . . 

Fur  Seals  

The  Leopard  Seal. 
The  Sea  Otter  .... 
The  Walrus 


113 
115 
124 
140 
141 
1(>4 
1(18 
170 


ni 


CONTENTS. 


TAUT   III.-TIIK   AMKRUAN   WIIALIv  i- ISIIKUV. 

I'AIIK 

ChAPTEK       I.       OllKlIX   AM)   AXCIENT   MoDE   OF    ■\VlIALE-IISIIINO Igfi 

II.  The  Amiumcan  Wiiai.e-i'ishehy 'J02 

III.  Ships,  OvTrrrs,  axj)  Manxeu  of  Takix(i  the  Whale 21G 

IV.  A-VEiHCAX  "\VnA[,iN<i  C'"M>;r.iicE 240 

V.  Caufop.xia  Shoue-whalixu 247 

VI.     Life  axu  CHAiiACTEiussTics  of  Ajiepicax  AVhai.emex 252 

LaOOOX  -WHAI.IXO 2uO 

Laiioun  -WHAi.iXd  Incidexts 2(iu 

AoAix  TO  THE  Noi:th,  ani>  Ho.me 272 


APPENDIX. 

Catalogue  of  the  Cetacea  of  the  Nopth  rACiFic  Oceax.     By  W.  H.  Dali 281 

Desciuptiox  of  a  Skeletox  of  the  Eight  AVilvle 308 

Glossary  of  Woiids  axd  PniiASEs  vsed  dv  Wilvlemex ;{0!) 

List  of  Htuiies  axu  Oltfits 31;j 


.* 


ILLUSTPvATIOXS. 


Platk  I.     riioxTisi'ii'.ci:. — AVlmlJiifj:  Si'ciic  ii'  the  Ciilifciriiiii   Lii.nooiiM. 

II.     The  Ciilil'oriiiii  (Iniy  'Wlmlc,  iiii.l  tlio  Fiiiliiu'lv  Wlialo l)C't\vp(>n  pnfjos  21-25 

III.     Eiiilirvos  of  ii  Ciilil'oniiu  Gray  Wliiih; facint,'  pajfu  20 

IV'.     Iiuliiui  AVlmliii^'  Iiiii)lLiiieiits I'lK'iii^,'-  Pii^e  28 

V.     C'lilit'Dviiia  (ir.'iys  amoiiif  the  Ico faciiij,'  jiULje  ',\2 

YI.     ]'',s([iiiiiiaii\  Wlialiii,!^-  Cauou  ami  Wlialin.i,'  Iiuiilciuciits faciiiy  pa^c  It? 

Outlines  of  a  Niirtheni  I'liiliaek ;J7 

VII.     Hiiniiiliaek  and  Sliai'iiliemled  Finner  'Wliales between  pn^'es  40-  II 

VIII.     Hiunpliaek.s  Loljfailin--,  Uoltin^',  I5reaeliino-,  and  Finninj,' laein^'  jia^'e  44 

Outlines  uf  a  Hunipliaek  VVliale 47 

Aleutian  Islanders'  VVliale   Harpoon 47 

Outlines  of  a  Huniphaek,   from  above 4S 

IX.     Appearance  of  a  Female   Humpback  Huckliu'^-  lier  Young facing'  [iii^'c  48 

X.     I\ve  and   Parasites  of  Biileeu  VVhales facing-  iiaj^e  5(i 

Outline  of   llovs'  "  Hunclibiu'k" r,(j 

XI.      The  Bowhead  or  (ireat  Polar  Wlr'.le between  pages  52-53 

Full-grown  Baleen  of  Seven  Species  of  Whales 55 

XII.     Bight  "Whale  t>f  the  North-western  Coast between  pages  (IS-fi!) 

XIII.      Snlphurbottom  Whale between  pages  72 -7;t 

XIV.     Sp.'rm  Whale between  pages  Tll-TT 

XV.     Sperm  Whale  in  Search  of  Food fiicin"  iia^e  80 

XYI.     Tiu'  Blacklish I',„.i„^.  j,„^,,  ^^ 

XYJI.     Orcas  or  Killers facing  page  88 

XYIII.     White  AVhale,   (U-  Whitetisli  of  (ho   Whalers facing  page  1!(! 

XIX.     Baird's  Dolphin,  Common  Porpoise,  and   liigiit  Wliale   Porpoise..  ..  facing  [lagu  100 
Approximate  Outlines  of   Cowlish,   White-headed  or   Mottled  (iramims,   Jiollle- 

nosed  (irampus,  anil  Panama  (irain]ins 102 

XX.     Sea  J'llephant,  and  Sea  laon facin"  iite'-e  1 17 

Club  and  Lance  used  in  the  capture  of  the  Sea  Elejihant ...,".  118 

Male  Sen  I.ion  Sleeping,  and  Male  Sea  Lion  Waking 12(i 

Appearance  of  a  Male    Sea   Lion  when  Roaring,  and  Female  Sea  Lions,  of  St. 

Paul's  Island j 27 

XXI,     Banded  Seal,  and  Fui  Seal I'.icin"-  pa"(>  140 

Full-aged   Male  Fur  Seal,  St.    Paul's   Island ".  44;) 

Head  of  Feniide  Fur  Seal,   from   below,  Iwo-tiiirds  natural  size 145 

Head  of   Female  Fur  Seal,  side  view,  two-thirds  nutural  si/e 147 

Side   vi(w   of   Fenude    Fur   Soul,   view  of    I'emale    Fur   Seal    froei    below,   and 

attitudes   of    Fu]'  Seals 1  ii) 

Seal   Spar  <if  the  Mnkah    Indians,  Nee-nli  Hay,  W.   T.,  iHliU,  and  Sja'ar  Head, 

full  si/e,   with   line  attached j 51) 

Moving  attitude  of  a  Leopard  Seal,  on  shore i(!4 

MAIimit  MAMMM.II.-'i.  I    II 


10  JLIJ'STIIATIOA'S. 

rr.ATK  XXTT.     Leniiiird  Seal,  iiiul  Soa  Otter facing  yinf^o  1()4 

Aleutian    Islaiidors'   Sea   Otter  CaiHie,    iir   Jhiiihiiin ,    with   Hunters   en^'aj^ed   in 

tlie  eliase;  Aleutian  I^lan(le^s'  Sea  Otter  Spear;  and  Spear  Head,  full  size.  175 

WalruKes 177 

"     XXTTI.     A  Wlialin.i,'  Seene  of  17(;;! facin.t,'  pa-e  205 

"      XXIV.     Tni[ilonients  beloiiLiin;,'  to  a  Whale-boat faein.i;'  pa.n'O  225 

Pieree's    Harpoon   Iiondi-Ianee   (iun;    ISonib-lance ;    and   Dia.Ljrani    showing,'   in- 

isido  of  15onil)-lance 227 

:\rast-head  AVaif 280 

Dia;^rani  showing-  the  manner  of  Cuttin^-in  the  liowhead  and  Itiyht  Whale...  2H1 

IMubher-hooli,  anil  Fin -eliaiu 2:i2 

"       XXV.     Implements  used  in  ('uttin{.j-in  a  AVhale 2;!l$ 

Head-straj) ;    To^-^de  ;    and  Tliroat-ehain   Toggle 2H4 

(^lttin,^'- tackle  to'j-nled  to  the  blanket  -  •>ieee 2:?5 

Outline  of  a  Sjierm  AVliale,  showinj,'  the  manner  of   ('uttin{]f-in 2;)7 

Mincing  Knife    2li8 

Hlublier-fork  ;    Stirring-pole  ;■  Skimmer  ;    ISailer;    and  Fire -pike 2;!1) 

"     XXVI.     A  Northern  AVhaling  Scene facing  page  2-tl 

AVIiale-boat  with  (ireener's  (iun  Afounted 2-1!) 

"   XXVII.     AVhaling  Station  at  Carniel  Bay facing  page  257 

Skeleton  of  a   /lahcKd  )iiii.'ilirrltif' !i08 


PKl' F  ACi:. 


T>i:i\(;  on  tlic  v^K\>{  of  f'alirdniiii  in  18-'')2.  wlicu  'lie  '•.u-old-fcvor"  nigcd,  llio 
forco  of  circiiinstancc's  coiiipcllcd  me  lo  tiiki'  co.niiiand  of  a  Iiriu'.  Iiound  on  a  scal- 
in,u'.  sc'a-t'l('iilianl,  and  wlndini;;  voya,L;-c,  ov  abandon  sea- life,  at  least  teniporai'ilv. 
Tiie  olijects  of  our  pur.-iiit  were  fmiiid  in  g-reat  numbers,  and  the  oiiporlunilies 
for  studyin,:^-  tlieir  habits  were  so  ,u'ood,  that  I  lieeame  ,uTeal]y  interested  in  eol- 
leetinir  facts  bearin,--  updn  the  luitural  liist(n-y  of  these  animals.  JJeferenee  to  the 
few  books  devoleil  to  the  subject  soon  convinced  nu'  that  I  was  at  woi'k  in  a 
department  in  whi(di  but  little  definite  knowled-'e  existed.  'I'his  was  1imi(>  even  of 
the  whales,  the  best  known  of  this  class:  ami  ]  was  soon  led  to  believe  that,  bv 
diligent  obsei'\atioii,  I  should  l)e  atilo  to  add  materially  to  the  scanty  stock  of  infor- 
mation existing  in  regard  lo  the  marine  niannnals  of  the  I'acilic  Coast.  I  was  the 
more  encouragecl  to  pui'sue  these  investigations,  bei'ause,  among  the  great  nuiidici' 
of  intelligent  men  in  conunaml  of  whaling-ships,  there  was  no  one  who  had  contrib- 
uted anyihing  of  ini[iortance  to  the  natural  history  of  the  Cetaceans;  while  it  was 
obvi(Uis  that  the  ojiporlunitiivs  ollered  foi-  the  study  of  their  habits,  lo  those  prac- 
tically engaged  in  the  business  of  whaling,  were  greater  than  eould  [lossibly  be 
enjoyed   by  persons  not   thus  eiiiploved. 

The  (dii.'f  object  in  this  work  is  to  give  as  correct  ligiires  of  the  dillerenl 
s]iecies  of  marine  mammals,  found  on  lli(>  I'acilli'  (.'oast  of  Xorlh  America,  as  could 
lie  oblained  from  a  careful  study  of  Ihein  IV<un  life,  and  nmnermis  measiirenieiils 
after  death,  made  whenever  praciicabl(>.  it  is  also  my  aim  to  give  as  full  an 
uecount  of  the  habits  of  these  animals  as  pra(dieabh\  together  with  sindi  facts  in 
refereiu'e  lo  their  geograpliical  distribution   as  have  come  lo  my  knowledge. 

It  is  liardly  necessary  lo  say,  that  any  person  taking  up  the  study  of  marine 
mammals,  and  especially  the  Cetaceans,  enliM's  a  dilli,MiIt   li.dd   of  research,  sim<e   the 

I  III 


12 


PREFACE. 


opportunities  for  observing  tlie  luil/its  of  tliese  aninuils  umler  favorable  conditions 
are  but  rare  and  brief.  ^ly  own  cxperionee  lias  proved  that  close  observation  for 
niontlis,  and  even  years,  may  be  required  before  a  single  new  fact  in  regard  to 
their  hal>its  can  l)e  obtained.  Tliis  has  been  particularly  the  case  with  the  dol- 
phins, while  many  of  the  characteristic  actions  of  whales  arc  so  secretly  performed 
that  years  of  ordinary  observation   may  be  iusuflicient  for  their  discovery. 

Tliere  is  little  didieuUy  in  making  satisfactoiy  drawings  of  such  smaller  species 
of  marine  manumils  as  can  be  taken  u[)on  the  deck  of  a  vessel,  but  it  is  extremely 
difficult  to  delineate  accurately  the  forms  of  the  lai'ger  Cetaceans.  AVhen  one  of 
these  animals  is  lirst  captured,  but  a  small  part  of  its  colossal  form  can  be  seen, 
as,  usually,  only  a  small  iiortiuu  of  the  miildle  section  of  the  body  is  al)ove  the 
water;  and  when  the  process  of  decomposition  has  caused  the  animal  to  rise,  so 
that  the  whole  form  is  visilde,  it  is  swollen  and  (piite  distorted  in  shape.  Again: 
tliese  animals  cliange  their  api)earaiice  in  the  most  remarkable  manner  with  every 
change  of  position,  so  that  it  is  only  from  repeated  measurements  an  1  sketches, 
and  as  the  result  of  many  comparisons,  that  I  have  been  able  to  produce  satisfac- 
tory  illustrations  of  tliese  monsters  of  the  deep. 

I  take  occasion  hei'e  to  arknowledge  my  indebteilness  to  Mr.  Key,  of  the  lirm 
of  Ih'itlou  iV  Key,  litliographers,  who  laid  aside  his  own  business,  as  far  as  possible, 
in  order  that  he  might  give  his  personal  attention  to  the  execution  of  nearly  all 
the  plates  representing  whales  and  seals.  Tlie  remaining  work  of  that  descrii)tion 
was  put  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Steinegger,  the  junior  partner  of  the  linn;  his 
excellent   sea  and  landsc;i[ie  baekgrouiuls  speak  for  themselves. 

riain  and  >iniple  language  has  been  used  in  description.  "Where  whaling  terms 
have  lieeu  employed,  their  delinitinus  are  indicated  by  reference  marks,  or  may  be 
found  in   'he  glossary  contained  in  the  A|i|iendix. 

1  dcM.e  to  tender  my  sineore  thanks  to  many  personal  friends  and  others,  not 
only  for  lilei'ary,  luit  also  fir  linanrial  aiil  ;  'or,  without  tlie  generous  contributions 
of  gentlemen  of  the  I'arilic  ("oast,  and  San  Francisco  especially,  this  work  could 
not  have  nuule  its  a|ipi'aranee  in  its  present  form. 

To  Professor  .1.  1>.  Whilnry,  State  (;e(dogist  of  ("alifornia,  1  wish  particularly 
to  acknowledge  mv  in(h'bledness  for  his  encouiMgemcnt  ami  untiring  assistance  in 
pre|iaring    this   V(dume    for   the   press.      My    thanks   are   also   due  to  Trofes.sor  S.   V. 


PREFACE.  13 

Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  ;  Professor  Cleorge  Davidson,  of  the  United 
States  Coast  Survey;  Doctor  W.  0.  Ayres,  of  San  Francisco;  Doctor  Theodore  Gill, 
f)f  Washington;  ^h\  J.  A.  Allen,  of  Caiuhridgo  ;  ^fr.  R.  R.  (_'.  Stearns,  of  San  Fran- 
cisco; M\\  Albert  lUerstadt,  of  Irvinglon,  X.  Y.  ;  Mv.  W.  H.  Dall,  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution  ;  and  to  Doctor  George  Ilewston,  of  San  Francisco,  for  s^jccial 
assistance.  Also,  to  ^\y.  F.  C.  Sanford,  of  Xantucket,  ^fass. ;  ^lessrs.  Williams  and 
Chapel,  (.f  the  firm  of  Williams,  Havens  it  Co.,  Xew  London,  Conn.;  and  Dennis 
Wood,  Fsq..  of  Xew   Iiedford,  for  valual)le  statistics  relative  to  the  whale-fishery. 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  also  mention  the  assistance  I  have  received  from 
ollieers  of  the  Uniteil  States  lU'venue  Marine,  in  making  scientific  C(dlei'tions  for  the 
study  of  whales  and  seals,  and  in  furnishing  specimens  for  the  Xational  Museum  at 
Washington.  I  would  particularly  mention  Lieutenants  George  W.  J>ailey,  W.  C. 
Coulson,  G.   K.  McConnell,  and   i'higineers  d.  A.  Doyle  and  H.   Ilassel. 

The  account  of  the  American  Whale-fishery  has  been  conqiiled  from  the  most 
reliable  sources  within  reach,  and  I'rom  the  experience  of  many  whalemen  with 
whom  I  was  associated  for  several  j'cars,  while  in  active  servii^e  on  the  principal 
whaling-grounds  then  frecpieiited.  1  have  also  attempted  to  give  a  chronological 
account  of  the  rise,  progi'ess,  and  decline  of  our  great  national  marilin\e  enterprise, 
the  whale-ii>hery  ;  and  to  make  the  picture  complete,  a  few  pages  have  been 
devoted  to  a  deseri[ition  of  the  every-da}'  life  of  a  whaleman,  his  characteristic 
trails,  and  the  incidents  that  make  up  the  rcuitine  of  a  whaling- voyage. 

The  "Catalogue  of  the  Cetacea"  appended  to  tiiis  work  has  1)een  drawn  up 
with  great  care  liy  .Mr.  AV.  11.  Dall.  who  has  taken  i)ains  to  do  the  work  as  thor- 
oughly as  circumstances  would  peri'. it  ;  an<l  as  I  have  assisted  him  with  my  per- 
scMial  knowledge  of  those  species  which  are  of  rare  occui'rence  on  this  coast,  and 
placed  in  his  hands  all  my  notes  and  cnllectimis,  I  trust  that  his  paper  will  be 
found  of  great  >v  distance  to  the  pi'ofessional  natui'alist.  As  .Mr.  Dall  remai'ks, 
however,  "Completeness  is  not  claimed  for  this  list.  In  fact,  it  can  hartlly  be 
attaineil  for  a  considerable  [leriod,  when  the  difiiculties  and  expense  connected  with 
these  researches  are  appreciated,"  Only  two  s[)ecies  of  Cetaceans  have  been  added 
to  the  list  of  those  mentioned  as  not  being  represented  by  "material  sufficient  to 
indicate  their  zoi'dogical  [xisition  ;"  and  these  were  not  known  to  Mr,  Ihdl  at  the 
time  he  was  pre[iaring  his  list. 


l.> 


f 


■  .i 


14  PREFACE. 

Tlio  volume  now  presented  to  tlio  public  has  l)eeu  ])ut  togetiier  from  materiiils 
wliieh  have  accuniulateil  dui'in.L:-  many  years.  At  sea.  wlu'U  not  ()ecui)ied  with 
oflieial  duties,  ."mid  calms  and  storms.  I  have  devoted  jnyself  to  its  pi-eparation  : 
and  it  is  hoped  that  the  pulilie  may  (ind  in  tiiese  results  fd'  prolonged  lalxir  some- 
thing of  the  profit  and  pleasure  with  whi(di  the  author  has  been  rewarded  while 
occupied  in  their  ccdlection  and   claboiatiou. 

('U.\lfl.i;s    M.    rt(AMMO.\. 

H.\N  Fhanciscci.   ]\[av.   ISTl. 


VART  ]. 


C  E  T  A  C  E  A 


I-' 

1   ■  i- 

ft     * 


l>' 


'('"  i 


1  • 

i    if 


) 


LI 


PART  I.-CETACEA. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  order  of  Cotacoa,  as  established  by  naturalists,  includes  all  species  of 
mammalia  which  have  been  created  for  inhabiting  the  water  only;  and  although 
their  forms  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  those  of  the  ordinary  piscatory  tribe,  still 
they  are  animals  having  warm  blood,  breathing  by  means  of  lungs,  and  frequently 
coming  to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  respire.  In  nearly  all  Cetaceans,  the  nostrils 
— termed  spiracles  or  spout- holes— are  situated  on  the  top  of  the  head.  Through 
these  the  thick  vaporous  breath  is  ejected  into  the  atmosphere  to  various  altitudes, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  animal  in  this  particular  respect;  and  through  the 
same  oriflces  a  fresh  supply  of  air  is  received  into  its  breathing  system.  Although 
the  Cetaceans  are  strictly  regarded  as  mammals,  they  have  no  true  feet;  their  pec- 
torals being  in  the  form  of  heavy,  bony,  and  sinewy  fins,  while  the  posterior 
extremity  of  the  body  terminates  in  a  broad  cartilaginous  limb  of  semi -lunar  shape, 
frequently  termed  the  caudal  fin  or  tail,  but  known  among  whalemen  as  the 
"flukes,"  the  lobes  of  which  extend  horizontally. 

The  different  species  of  Cetaceans  arc  numerous ;  hence  they  have  been  divided 
into  groups,  the  most  prominent  of  which  are  the  Whalebone  "Whales,  the  Cachalots 
or  Sperm  Whales,  and  the  Dolphins.  The  group  of  Balcenidce,  or  Whalebone  Whales, 
embraces  all  those  which  arc  destitute  of  teeth  when  adult,  and  whose  palate  is 
lined  on  each  side  with  rows  of  horny  plates,  called  whalebone  or  baleen,  which 
are  fringed  on  their  inner  edges.  This  part  of  the  animal's  organization  is  pecul- 
iarly adapted  to  the  nature  of  its  food,  which  consists  of  zoophytes,  moUusks,  crus- 
taceans, and  small  fish.  The  group  of  Sperm  Whales  comprises  those  with  inordi- 
nately massive  heads,  whose  upper  jaw  has  only  rudimentary  teeth,  or  none  at 
all ;  whoso  lower  jaw  is  narrow,  rounded  toward  its  anterior  extremity,  elongated 
and  filling  the  furrow  in  the  upper  one,  and  furnished  on  each  side  with  a  row 
of  heavy  conical  teeth,  with  which  to  procure  and  devour  the  enormous  cuttle-fish 

Mabdie  Mammals.— 3. 


•.      •  18  MARINE   MAMMALiS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

or  squid  upon  which  they  prey.  The  group  of  Dolphins  is  made  up  of  those  com- 
prised in  the  Linnoean  genus  Dclphinus,  and  others,  whose  heads  preserve  tlie  usual 
.;  proportion  to  the  body,  and  whose  upper  and  lower  jaws  are  set  with    sharp   and 

usually  conical  teeth.  They  arc  the  most  active  and  rapacious  of  the  whole  order 
of  Cetaceans. 

All  Cetaceans  produce  their  young  in  nearly  the  same  manner  as  other  mam- 
mals. The  male  is  commonly  called  a  bull;  the  female  a  cow.  The  attitude  of 
the  two  sexes  when  having  intercourse  with  each  other  has  been  differently  repre- 
sented by  numerous  observ  jrs.  Some  maintain  that  the  male  covers  the  female ; 
wliile  others  are  positive  of  their  lying  on  their  sides  breast  to  breast,  or  assuming 
a  perpendicular  position.  From  personal  observation,  however,  we  are  justified  in 
.'  .  stating  that  all  are  correct.     In  fact,  it  may  i-eadily  be  seen  that,  with  their  united 

efforts,  it  is  easy  for  the  animals  to  sustain  any  desired  position  in  their  native 
element,  during  the  period  of  coition.  The  time  of  gestation  is  not  known  ;  but 
from  our  observations  we  believe  it  is  never  less  than  nine  months,  and  that  in 
some  species  it  extends  to  one  year.  The  offspring  of  the  female  is  called  her 
calf;  she  nourishes  it  with  rich  milk  drawn  from  two  teats  which  lie  on  each  side 
of  her  abdomen. 

All   Cetaceans  are  destitute  of  the  hair  or  fur  which   protects   the  surface   of 

other  marine  mammals,  and  instead  thereof  the  dermis  is  covered  by  a  smooth  and 

t         ■  transparent  scarf-skin.      Under  the  dermis  is  the  thick  layer  of  fat,  or  "blubber," 

which  infolds  the  whole  creature,  whoso  flesh  is  dark  and  sinewy,  resembling  coarse 
beef.  The  natural  term  of  life  in  Cetaceans  can  only  be  approximately  determined  ; 
it  is  probably  from  thirty  to  a  hundred  years.  The  new-born  young  are  clothed 
in  fatloss  blubber  with  a  thick  dermis,  and  over  all  is  a  delicate  cuticle.  The  calf, 
or  "cub,"  follows  the  dam  for  several  months — perhaps  a  year  with  some  species — 
and  during  that  time  draws  its  chief  sustenance  from  the  mother.  As  her  charge 
matures,  its  blubber  thickens  and  becomes  fat,  the  dermis  becomes  thinner  but  more 
compact,  and  the  cuticle  strengthens  and  presents  a  lively  glossiness. 

Among  the  Bakenidce,  tlie  baleen  with  its  fringes  grows  rapidly,  and  hardens  as 

it  matures.      As  old   age  comes  on,  the  fringes  to  these   horny  plates   become   de- 

•}  '  caj'ed  and  broken,  and  in  some  instances  the  baleen  falls  out.      The  thick  blubber, 

once  filled  with  oil,  becomes  thin  and  watery,  and,  for  want  of  proper  sustenance, 

the  animal   }ields  to  the  course  of  Nature  and   dies.      Among  the  Phjscterklm,  the 

teeth   of  the  young  are  sharp  and  perfect  when  first  developed  ;  but  they  become 

►   _  more  or  less  broken  and  worn  with  age:   as  years  advance,  they  cither  fall  out  or 

arc  reducea  to  a  level  with  the  gums,  and,  like  the  Balccnklcc,  being  deprived  of  the 


>! 


INTRODUCTION. 


19 


natural  means  of  obtaining  food,  the  animals  become  emaciated,  and  at  last  expire. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Delphinidce  or  Dolphins. 

All  the  Cetaceans  propel  themselves  through  the  water  by  the  action  of  their 
pectorals  and  caudal  fin,  and  the  individual  motions  of  the  various  species  are  simi- 
lar. Usually  a  small  portion  of  the  animal  is  seen  rippling  along  as  it  makes  its 
respiration,  then,  after  a  few  moments,  settling  below  the  surface,  it  again  appears 
in  the  same  manner.     When  descending  to  the  depths  below,  it  rises  a  little,  as  in 


\>>y^:r>. 


':&:!■:? 


figure  1;   then  pitching  headlong,   "rounds  out,"  as  in  figure  2;  then   "turning 

e 


flukes,"  as  in  figure  3,  disappears.     Thus  these  animals  wander  through  the  track- 


less  waters  in  their  migrations ;  or,  when  roving  about  at  leisure  on  their  feeding  or 
breeding  grounds,  they  are  eometimes  seea  in  various  attitudes,  which  will  be 
mentioned  hereafter. 


I 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY   WHALE. 

Ehachiankctes  olaccub.  Cope.     (Plate  ii,  fig.  1.) 


The  California  Gray  is  unlike  other  species  of  baleen  whales  in  color,  being 
of  a  mottled  gray,  very  light  in  some  individuals,  while  others,  both  male  and 
female,  are  nearly  black.  The  head  and  jaws  are  cured  downward  from  near  the 
spiracles  to  the  "nib -end,"  or  extremity  of  the  snout,  and  the  lateral  form  tapers 
to  a  ponderous  beak.  Under  the  throat  are  two  longitudinal  folds,  which  are  about 
fifteen  inches  apart  and  six  feet  in  length.  The  eye,  the  ball  of  which  is  at  least 
four  inches  in  diameter,  is  situated  about  five  inches  above  and  six  inches  behind 
the  angle  of  the  mouth.  The  ear,  which  appears  externally  like  a  mere  slit  in  the 
skin,  two  and  one -half  inches  in  length,  is  about  eighteen  inches  behind  the  eye, 
and  a  little  above  it.  Tht  length  of  the  female  is  from  forty  to  forty -four  feet,* 
the  fully  grown  varying  but  little  in  size;  its  greatest  circumference,  twenty -eight 
to  thirty  ""oct ;  its  flukes,  thirty  inches  in  depth,  and  ten  to  twelve  feet  broad.  It 
has  no  dorsal  fin.  Its  pectorals  are  about  six  and  one -half  feet  in  length,  and  three 
feet  in  width,  tapering  from  near  the  middle  toward  the  ends,  which  are  quite 
pointed.      Usually  the  limbs  of  the  animal  vary  but  little  in  proportion  to  its  size. 

The  following  measurements  give  the  correct  proportions  of  several  males  taken 
in  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  California,  since  1865 : 

SEX,  MALE.  Ft-    ^' 

T       ,,  42  00 

Length 

Cireumfcrenco  at  point  of  pectoral 

Length  of  pectorals 

2  10 
Width  of  pectorals 

Nib  -end  to  pectorals 

A.   C\C 

Pectorals  to  top  of  back 

Nib-end  to  corner  of  mouth 

*  Forty-four  feot,  however,  would  be  regard-      taken  that  were  much  larger,,  and  yielding  sixty 
ed  as  large,  although  some  individuals  have  been      or  seventy  barrels  of  oil. 


■ff-.. 


iC'i^ 


'";»' 


.--,.4^ 
i.**;'.-,;*"..,-. 


^j«:% 


•  ■^c 


\ 


•M 


n    \'\ 


-\:  \ 


.  il',     <   A  !.M' 


f  i:  vv   'V'l    1.1' 


rf.\!'>V         Ml 


|i    r:    I'   '      '. 


!  I. 


;.    I     Til.        Tie  <;'   ■.   111.-!    imil    of  wlf'^ii   ''.ri  !!i.   liMrt 


'    )  il.;,.     ■        '.I      '        !•'' 


..  1    .'^  ^    1.  ■  1    ill    ;.    j'l  1 


;■;    >>x    iiv;i!i'    '"'lni,i'l 


■"..-->,■!■ 


it ' 


P<" 


■  1  1. 


1  »        J.    ■■-     y. 


I'll  II     Ki^iy 


B 


'^ 


la 


P 
o 

[I. 


(1. 


w 

I 


I 
'  I 


THE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY    WHALE.  21 

Ft.    In. 

Corner  of  mouth  to  top  of  head 2  06 

Nib-end  to  eyo 7  OG 

Spout-holes  to  nib-end 6  00 

Length  of  opening  of  spout-  holes 08 

Length  of  flukes  or  tail 10  00 

Breadth  of  flukes  or  tail 3  05 

Thickness  of  each  lobe  of  flukes 00 

From  fork  of  flukes  to  vent 12  00 

From  fork  of  flukes  to  genital  slit IC  08 

Length  of  longest  baleen 18 

Width  of  longest  baleen 09 

(Number  of  layers  of  baleen  on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  182.) 

Longest  fibres  to  fringe  of  baleen 05 

Average  thickness  of  blubber 07 

Depth  of  small  at  junction  of  flukes 18 

Length  of  the  fissure  between  the  cyoiids Ol 

Four  other  individuals,  ranging  from  thirty -five  to  forty  feet,  were  measured, 
the  result  of  which  showed  corresponding  proportions,  or  nearly  so. 

The  animal  has  a  succession  of  ridges,  crosswise  along  the  back,  from  opposite 
the  vent  to  the  flukes.  The  coating  of  fat,  or  ljlubl)er,  which  possesses  great  solid- 
ity and  is  exceedingly  sinewy  and  tough,  varies  from  six  to  ten  inches  in  thickness, 
and  is  of  a  reddish  cast.  The  average  yield  of  oil  is  twenty  barrels.  The  baleen, 
of  which  the  longest  portion  is  fourteen  to  sixteen  inches,  is  of  a  light  brown  or 
nearly  wiiite,  the  grain  very  coarse,  and  the  hair  or  fringe  on  the  bone  is  nuich 
heavier  and  not  so  even  as  that  of  the  Right  Whale  or  ilumpltack.  Tlie  male  may 
average  thirty -five  feet  in  length,  but  varies  more  in  size  than  the  female,  and  the 
usual  quantity  of  oil  it  produces  may  be  reckoned  at  twenty -five  barrels.  Both 
sexes  are  inl'ested  with  parasitical  crnstaceans  [Cyamns  Sarmmoni),  and  a  species  of 
barniicle  {CnjptokjMis  rhacluancdl),  which  collect  chiefiy  upon  the  head  and  fins.* 

•Following  is  W.    II.    Dall's   description   of      fm-nislied   with  a  branchia  at  each  side.     This, 
the   Ciiamus  Scammnui,    and    of   the    ('ryplolr/ms      ix^m'  it«   hasc,  divides   into   vwo  cylindrical   fila- 

rhachicouTli   (Proceedings   Cal.   Acad.   Sci.,   Nov.  '"'^"t«'    "r"''^l^.>'    "''^'''^    f"-"'"    "«!'*  *"   ^''"-      "^^ 

,,  ,     ^,,_,,      T,,     i     ..  ,.        If      ,  ,  the  base  of  each  branchia  are  two  ideuder  acccs- 

Utli,  18(12).     Illustrations,  ligs.  1,  5,  ])lato  x.  ,,,  ,  .       .i    ,  i      i      i         i     •. 

*  Hoiy  iilamcius,  not  coiled,  quite  short,  ami  sitii- 

OenuH  C'vAMCs,  Lam.  ated,  one  before  and  the  other  behind  the  base 

CijiiniiiK,    Lam.    Syst.    An.    b.    Vert.,    p.    IGG.  of  the  main  branchia,      Hecoud   pair  of   liaiids, 

Bate  &  Westwood,  ii,  p.  80,  kidney -sliapcd,  with  tlie  carpal  artlcuhilioii  lialf- 

Liirinuld  and   I'miopi'.     Leach.  way  between   tlie   distal  and  pro.\imiil  ends,  and 

Ci/nmuK  Sfdininoni,  n,   sp.       J    Body  moder-  having    two    iioiided    Uibcrclea    on    tin     inl'eridr 

ately  depressed,  of  an  egg-ovate  form;  segments  edge,  before  the  eaiiJiil  joint.     Third  and  fourth 

slightly   separated.     Third   and   fourth   segments  segments  somewhat  punctate  above ;  all  the  uth- 


22 


MAUIXE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


The  California  Gray  Whale  is  only  found  in  north  latitudes,  and  its  migrations 
have  never  been  known  to  extend  lower  than  20°  north.  It  frequents  the  coast  of 
California  from  November  to  May.  During  these  months  the  cows  enter  the  lagoons 
on   the   lower   coast  to  bring  forth   their  young,*  while   the   males  remain   outside 


ers  fimooth ;  tbo  sixth  and  seventh  slightlj'  ser- 
rate on  the  upper  anterior  edge,  and  without 
ventral  spines.  Color,  yellowish  white.  Lon. 
0.70,  lat.  0.39  in.,  of  largest  specimen. 

$  Similar  to  the  5  in  all  respects,  excepting 
in  being  a  little  more  slender,  and  in  wanting 
the  accessory  appendages  to  the  branchitc  ;  the 
ovigcrous  sacs  are  four  in  number,  overlapping 
each  other. 

Habitat,  on  the  California  Gray  Whale  ( Rha- 
cliianrrtes  glauciis  of  Cojie),  upon  the  Coast  of 
California ;  veiy  numerous.  I  may  remark  hero 
that  these  species  are  all  so  distinct  from  those 
figured  by  Milne -Edwards,  Gosse,  and  Bate  & 
AVoKtwood,  that  a  comparative  description  has 
seemed  unnecessary' ;  also,  that  the  species  ob- 
tained on  diflereut  species  of  Cetaceans  have  so 
far  been  found  invariably  distinct.  The  infer- 
ence is,  of  coui>ie,  that  each  Cetacean  has  its 
peculiar  parasites — a  supposition  which  agrees 
with  our  knowledge  of  the  facta  in  many  groups 
of  terrestrial  animals. 

C'njplnlrpa.<  rhnchiniircli,  Dall,  n.  s.  Valves 
subciiual,  rostnuu  radiate,  not  alate.  Lateral 
valves  anteriorly  alato,  posteriorly  radiate ;  ca- 
rina alate,  not  radiate.  Each  valve  internally 
transversely  deeply  grooved,  and  furnished  ex- 
ternally with  six  radiating  laminn\  vertically 
sharply  grooved ;  the  adjacent  terminal  laminto 
of  eadi  two  valvo''  <'oalesciug  to  form  one  lami- 
na of  extrri  thickness ;  all  the  laminm  bifurcated 
and  thickened  toward  the  outer  edges,  with  two 
or  more  short  sj>urs  on  each  side,  irregularly 
placed  between  the  shell -wall  and  the  bifurca- 
tion. Superior  terminations  of  the  valves  (V)lunt- 
ly  pointed?)  usually  abraded,  tran-iversely  striate. 
Scuta  subijuailrate,  adjacent  anteriorly,  and  very 
slightly  beaked  in  the  middle  of  the  occludent 
margin  ;  terga  subciuadrntc,  sniall,  sejiarated  from 
the  sc\ita  by  intervening  meiul)rane ;  lioth  very 
small  in  proportion  to  the  orillcu.  Membranes 
very  thin  and  delicate,  raised  into  Humll  lamelliu 
between  the  opercular  valves.  All  tlio  calcareous 
nuitter  pulvenilent,  and  showing  a  strong  tend- 
ency to  split  up  into  luniimc,      Antero-poBtorior 


diameter  of  largo  specimen,  1.G2  inch ;  ditto  of 
oritice,  0.03  inch ;  transverse  diameter  of  orifice, 
0.58  inch;  lon.  scuta,  0.17  inch;  lat.  ditto,  0.08 
inch ;  lon.  terga.  0.07  inch ;  lat.  ditto,  0.07  inch. 
Color  of  membranes,  when  living,  sulphur  yel- 
\ov.  ;  hood,  extremely  protrusile. 

This  species  is  found  sessile  on  the  California 
Gray  Whale  {Bhachianccles  glaiicus,  Cope).  I 
have  obsen-ed  them  on  specimens  of  that  species 
hauled  up  on  the  beach  at  Monterej'  for  cutting 
oft'  the  blubber,  in  the  bay  -  whaling  of  that 
locality.  The  superior  surface  of  the  lateral 
lamina),  being  covered  by  the  black  skin  of  the 
whale,  is  not  visible;  and  the  animal,  removed 
from  its  nat'-'o  element  —  protruding  its  bright 
yellow  hood  in  every  direction,  to  a  surprising 
distance,  as  if  gasping  for  breath — presented  a 
truly  singular  appearance. 

*  The  (luestion  is  often  raised,  as  to  whether 
the  cetaceous  animals  have  more  than  one  young 
one  at  a  birth?  but  it  seems  evident  to  us  that 
they  never  have  more  than  two,  for  Nature  has 
made  no  provision  whereby  more  than  that  mim- 
bcr  could  draw  sustenance  at  the  same  time  from 
the  parent  animal ;  and  even  where  provision  is 
made  for  two  among  the  marine  mammalia,  par- 
ticularly in  the  ease  of  the  seal  tribe,  it  is  rare- 
ly if  ever  that  the  female  produces  twins.  It  is 
true  that  instances  have  occurred  where  two, 
three,  or  more  cubs  have  been  seen  with  one 
California  Gray  Whale ;  but  this  has  only  hap- 
pened in  the  lagoons  where  there  had  been 
great  slaughter  among  the  cows,  leaving  their 
young  ones  motherlesH,  so  that  these  straggle 
about,  sometimes  following  otlier  whales,  some- 
times clustering  by  themselves  a  half-do/en  to- 
gether. AVo  know  of  one  instance  where  a  whale 
which  had  a  calf  perhaps  a  month  old  was  killed 
close  to  a  ship.  When  the  mother  was  taken 
to  the  ship  to  bo  cut  in,  the  young  one  followed, 
and  remained  playing  about  for  two  weeks ;  but 


;i 


TUE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY    WHALE. 


23 


along  the  sea- shore.  The  time  of  gestation  is  about  one  year.*  Occasionally  a 
male  is  seen  in  the  lagoons  with  the  cows  at  the  last  of  the  season,  and  soon  after 
both  male  and  female,  with  their  young,  will  be  seen  working  their  way  northward, 
following  the  shore  so  near  that  they  often  pass  through  the  kelp  near  the  beach.' 
It  is  seldom  they  are  seen  far  out  at  sea.  This  habit  of  resorting  to  shoal  bays 
is  one  in  which  they  differ  strikingly  from  other  whales.  In  summer  they  congre- 
gate in  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  Okhotsk  Sea.  It  has  been  said  that  this  species  of 
whale  lias  been  found  on  the  coast  of  China  and  about  the  shores  of  the  ishaid 
of  Formosa,  but  the  report  needs  confii-mation. 

In  October  and  November  the  California  Grays  appear  off  the  coast  of  Oregon 
and  Upper  California,  on  tlicir  way  back  to  their  tropical  haunts,  making  a  quick, 
low  spout  at  long  intervals ;  showing  themselves  but  very  little  until  they  roach  the 
smooth  lagoons  of  the  lower  coast,  where,  if  not  disturbed,  they  gather  in  large 
numbers.t  passing  and  repassing  into  and  out  of  the  estuaries,  or  slowly  raising 
their  colossal  forms  midway  above  the  surftico,  falling  over  on  their  sides  as   if  by 


whether  it  lived  to  como  to  maturity  is  a  matter 
of  ooiijc'cturo. 

*TLis  statement  is  maintained  upon  the  fol- 
lowing observations:  "Wo  have  known  of  five 
embryos  being  taken  from  females  between  the 
latitudes  of  31°  and  37°  north,  on  the  California 
coast,  when  the  animals  wore  returning  from 
their  warm  winter  haunts  to  their  cool  summer 
resorts,  and  in  every  instance  they  were  exceed- 
ingly fat,  which  is  quite  ojiposito  to  the  cows 
which  have  jjroduced  and  nurtured  a  calf  while 
in  the  lagoons;  hence  we  concludo  that  the  an- 
imals propagate  only  once  in  (wo  years. 

fit  has  been  estimated,  approximately,  by 
observing  men  among  the  shore -whaling  parties, 
that  a  thousand  whales  piuised  southward  dai- 
ly, from  the  IHth  of  December  to  the  1st  of 
February,  for  several  successive  seasons  after 
KhoH'-whaling  was  established,  which  occun-cd 
111  1851.  Captain  Packard,  who  has  been  en- 
gaged ill  the  liusincss  for  over  twenty  years, 
thinks  this  a  low  estimate.  Accepting  this  num- 
ber without  allowing  for  those  which  passed  oft' 
shore  cut  of  sight  from  the  land,  or  for  those 
which  paBsed  before  the  10th  of  December  and 


after  the  1st  of  February,  the  aggregate  would 
be  increased  to  47,000.  Captain  Packard  also 
states,  that  at  the  present  time  the  average  num- 
ber seen  from  the  stations  passing  daily  would 
not  exceed  forty.  From  our  own  observation 
upon  the  coast,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that 
the  numbers  resorting  annually  to  the  coast  of 
California,  from  18o3  to  185C,  did  not  exceed 
40,000— probably  not  over  30,000;  and  at  the 
present  time  there  are  many  which  pass  otT  shore 
at  so  great  a  distance  as  to  be  invisible  from 
the  lookout  stations :  there  are  probably  between 
100  and  200  whales  going  southward  daily,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  "down  season" 
(from  December  15th  to  February  1st). 

This  estimate  of  the  annual  herd  visiting  the 
coast  is  probably  not  large,  as  there  is  no 
allowance  made  for  those  that  migrate  earlier 
and  later  in  the  season.  From  what  <lata  we 
have  been  able  to  obtain,  the  whole  number  of 
California  (iray  Whales  which  have  been  capt- 
ured or  destroyed  since  the  bay-whaling  com- 
menced, in  1840,  would  not  exceed  10,800,  and 
the  number  which  now  periodically  visit  the 
coast  does  not  exceed  8,000  or  10,000. 


t\ 


I 


I 

X 


24  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

accident,  and  dasliing  the  water  into  foam  and  spray  about  them.  At  times,  in 
cahn  weather,  they  are  seen  lying  on  the  water  quite  motionless,  keeping  one  posi- 
tion for  an  hour  or  more.  At  such  times  the  sea-gulls  and  cormorants  frequently 
alight  upon  the  huge  beasts.  The  first  season  in  Scammon's  Lagoon,  coast  of  Lower 
California,  the  boats  were  lowered  several  times  for  them,  we  thinking  that  the 
animals  when  in  that  position  were  dead  or  sleeping,  but  before  the  boats  arrived 
within  oven  shooting  distance  they  were  on  the  move  again. 

/bout  the  shoals  at  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  lagoons,  in  18G0,  we  saw  large 
numbers  of  the  monsters.  It  was  at  the  low  stage  of  the  tide,  and  the  shoal  places 
were  plainly  marked  by  the  constantly  foaming  breakers.  To  our  surprise  we  saw 
many  of  the  whales  going  through  the  surf  where  the  depth  of  water  was  barely 
suflicient  to  float  them.  Wo  could  discern  in  many  places,  by  the  white  sand 
that  came  to  tlie  surface,  that  they  must  be  near  or  touching  the  bottom.  One 
in  particular,  lay  for  a  half- hour  in  tlie  breakers,  playing,  as  seals  often  do  in  a 
heavy  surf:  turning  from  side  to  side  witli  half- extended  fins,  and  moved  appar- 
ently by  the  heavj-  ground  -  swell  which  was  breaking ;  at  times  making  a  playful 
spring  witli  its  bonding  flukes,  throwing  its  body  clear  of  the  water,  coming  down 
with  a  heavy  splash,  then  making  two  or  three  spouts,  and  again  settling  under 
water  ;  perhaps  tlie  next  moment  its  head  would  appear,  and  with  the  heavy  swell 
tl'.e  animal  would  roll  over  in  a  listless  manner,  to  all  appearance  enjoying  the  sport 
intonsely.  We  pressed  close  to  this  sportive  animal,  and  had  only  thirteen  feet  of 
water. 

The  liabits  of  the  Gray  have  brouglit  upon  it  many  significant  names,  among 
which  tiie  most  prominent  are,  "  Hard  -  head,"  "  Mussel  -  digger,"  "  Devil  -  fish," 
"Gray -back,"  and  "Rip -sack."  The  first- mentioned  misnomer  arose  from  the 
fact  of  tlie  animals  having  a  groat  propensity  to  root  the  boats  when  coming  in 
contact  with  them,  in  the  same  manner  that  hogs  upset  their  empty  troughs.  More- 
over, thoy  are  known  to  descend  to  soft  bottoms  in  search  of  food,  or  for  other 
puri)oses ;  and,  when  returning  to  the  surface,  they  Jiave  been  seen  with  head  and 
lips    besmeared  with  the  dark  ooze  from  the    depths   below;*    hence   the   name  of 

*  To  our  pcrsonnl  knowledge,  Vmt  little  or  no  of  the  estuaries.     Whether  this  was  taken  into 

food  has  been   found   iu   the  ariinml'H   stomach.  the  stomach  as  food  some  naturalists  doubt,  giv- 

"Wo  '  ivo  cxaminod  sovoral  t"kon  in  the  lagoons,  ing  as  a  reason  that  the  whale,  i)asBiug  through 

and  in  them  we  found  wi,       the  whalers  called  the  water  mixed  with  this  vegetable  matter,  on 

"sodgo"  or  "sea-moss"  ■;        rt  of  sea-cabbage),  opening  its  mouth  would    of   necessity  receive 

which  at  certain  seasons  .i .   ,  ns  the  waters  in  more  or  less  of  it,  which  would  bo  swallowed, 

extensive  patchei  both  iu  an:l  about  the  mouths  there  being  no  other  way  iu  which  it  could  be 


r 


I  *»P»I»I|WI  iPU!  ».vJPJ»W  .J  li-  ■■" " 


■^^W^^^W^^^^Bfi^llPiW 


IF 


"■«W  I'W  ^ff  ■  ^■^ 


,l. 


t 


;'» 


o*  ^*( .  Scdmmon .  lii! 


PlG.l.   THE    CALIF'ORIIIA  GRAY  WHALE.  I  RHACHIANECTES  :uv 


Plate  U . 


pa;    FIG,  2.  THE   FINBACK  I  BALi;:)uPTEHAV?.i.irKRA,Copp.l 


Srutc-  i   ,■?«,-.  ..(A 


^. 


m    ,1   i|i.i|«ji|i 


■f 


I; 


, 


!". 


\l 


:i^ 


THE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY    WHALE. 


26 


"  Mussel  -  digger."  "Devil- fish"  is  significant  of  the  clanger  incurred  in  the  pursuit 
of  the  animal.  "Gray -back"  is  indicative  of  its  color,  and  "Rip- sack"  originated 
with  the  manner  of  flensing. 

As  the  season  approaches  for  the  whales  to  bring  forth  their  young,  which  is 
from  December  to  March,  they  formerly  collected  at  the  most  remote  extremities  of 
the  lagoons,  and  huddled  together  so  thickly  that  it  was  difficult  for  a  boat  to  cross 
the  waters  without  coming  in  contact  with  them.  Repeated  instances  have  been 
known  of  their  getting  aground  and  lying  for  several  hours  in  but  two  or  throe 
feet  of  water,  without  apparent  injury  from  resting  heavily  on  the  sandy  bottom, 
until  the  rising  tide  floated  them.  In  the  Bay  of  Monterey  they  have  been  seen 
rolling,  with  apparent  delight,  in  the  breakers  along  the  beach. 

In  February,  1856,  we  found  two  whales  aground  in  Alagdalena  Bay.  Each 
had  a  calf  playing  about,  there  being  sufficient  depth  for  the  young  ones,  while  the 
mothers  were  lying  hard  on  the  bottom.  When  attacked,  the  smaller  of  the  two 
old  whales  lay  motionless,  and  the  boat  approached  near  enough  to  "set"  the 
hand-lance  into  her  "life,"  dispatching  the  animal  at  a  single  dart.  The  other, 
when  approached,  would  raise  her  head  and  flukes  above  the  water,  supporting  her- 
self on  a  small  portion  of  the  belly,  turning  easily,  and  heading  toward  the  boat, 
which  made  it  very  difficult  to  capture  her.  It  appears  to  be  their  habit  to  get 
into  the  shallowest  inland  waters  when  their  cubs  are  young.  For  this  reason  the 
whaling-ships  anchor  at  a  considerable  distance  from  where  the  crews  go  to  hunt 
the  animals,  and  several  vessels  are  often  in  the  same  lagoon. 

The  first  streak  of  dawn  is  the  signal  for  lowering  the  boats,  all  pulling  for 
the  head -waters,  where  the  whales  are  expected  to  be  found.  As  soon  as  one  is 
seen,  the  officer  who  first  discovers  it  sets  a  "waif"  (a  small  flag)  in  his  boat  and 
gives  chase.  Boats  belonging  to  other  vessels  do  not  interfere,  but  go  in  search  of 
other  whales.  When  pursuing,  great  care  is  taken  to  keep  behind,  and  a  short 
distance  from  the  animal,  until  it  is  driven  to  the  extremity  of  the  lagoon,  or  into 
shoal  water ;  then  the  men  in  the  nearest  boats  spring  to  their  oars  in  the  exciting 
race,  and  the  animal,  swimming  so  near  the  bottom,  has  its  progress  impeded, 
thereby  giving  its  pursuers  a  decided  advantage  :  althougli  occasionally  it  will  sud- 
denly change  its  course,  or  "dodge,"  which  frequently  prolongs  the  chase  for  hours, 

disposed  of.     Tbc  quantity  found    in   any  one  .ve  are  convinced  that  mussels  have  been  found 

indnKlual  would  not  exceed  a  baixelful.  m  the   maws   of  the   California   Grays;  but  as 

From  the  testimony  of  several  whaling-men  yet,  from  our  own  observations,   we   have    not 

whom  we   regard  as  interested  and  careful  ob-  been  able  to  establish   the   fact  of   what  their 

servers,    together  with    our   own   investigations,  principal  sustenance  consists. 

Mabi»e  Maumals.  —  4, 


2fl 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


:    ,< 


n 


the  boats  cutting  through  the  water  at  their  utmost  speed.  At  other  times,  when 
the  cub  is  young  and  weak,  the  movements  of  the  mother  are  sympathetically 
suited  to  the  necessities  of  her  dependent  oJTspring.  It  is  rare  that  the  dam  will 
forsake  her  young  one,  when  molested.  When  within  "darting  dist{\nce"  (sixteen 
or  eighteen  feet),  the  boat-steerer  darts  the  harpoons,  and  if  the  whale  is  struck 
it  dashes  about,  lashing  the  water  into  foam,  oftentimes  staving  the  boats.  As 
soon  as  the  boat  is  fast,  the  officer  goes  into  the  head,*  and  watches  a  favorable 
opportunity  to  shoot  a  bomb -lance.  Should  this  enter  a  vital  part  and  explode,  it 
kills  instantly,  but  it  is  not  often  this  good  luck  occurs  ;  more  frequently  two  or 
three  bombs  are  shot,  which  paralyze  the  animal  to  some  extent,  Avhen  the  boat  is 
hauled  near  enough  to  use  the  hand -lance.  After  repeated  thrusts,  the  whale 
becomes  sluggish  in  its  motions;  then,  going  "close  to,"  the  hand-lance  is  set  into 
its  "life,"  which  completes  the  capture.  The  animal  rolls  over  on  its  side,  with  fins 
extended,  and  dies  without  a  struggle.  Sometimes  it  will  circle  around  within  a 
small  compass,  or  take  a  zigzag  course,  heaving  its  head  and  flukes  above  the  water, 
and  will  either  roll  over,  "fin  out,"  or  die  under  water  and  sink  to  the  bottom. 

Thus  far  we  have  spoken  principally  of  the  females,  as  tbey  are  found  in  the 
lagoons.  Mention  has  been  made,  however,  of  that  genera'  habit,  common  to  both 
male  and  female,  of  keeping  near  the  shore  in  making  the  passage  between  their 
northern  and  southern  feeding -grounds.  This  fact  becoming  known,  and  the  bomb- 
gun  f  coming  into  use,  the  mode  of  capture  along  the  outer  coast  was  changed. 
The  whaling  parties  first  stationed  themselves  in  their  boats  at  the  most  fiivorable 
points,  where  the  thickest  beds  of  kelp  were  found,  and  there  lay  in  wait  watching 
for  a  good  chance  to  shoot  the  whales  as  they  passed.  This  was  called  "kelp 
whaling." 

The  first  year  or  two  that   this  pursuit  was   practiced,  many  of  the  animals 


*  "Whalemen  call  the  forward  part  of  a  whale- 
boat  the  head,  differing  from  merehantmcu,  who 
term  it  the  bow ;  still,  the  oar  next  to  the  for- 
ward one  in  a  whale-boat  is  named  the  bow- 
oar.  And,  likewise,  when  tUo  boat  is  hauled 
close  up  to  the  whale  by  heaving  the  lina  out 
of  the  "bow-chocks,"  and  taking  it  to  one  side 
against  a  cleat  which  is  placed  a  few  feet 
aft  of  the  extreme  bow,  it  is  called  "bo wing- 
on." 

f  The  bomb -gun  is  made  of  iron,  stock  and 
all.     It  is  three  feet  long,  the  barrel  of  which 


is  twenty -three  inches  in  length  ;  diameter  of 
bore,  one  and  one -eighth  of  an  iudi ;  weight, 
twenty -four  pounds.  It  shoots  a  bomb -lance 
twenty-one  and  a  half  inches  li^ug,  and  of  a 
size  to  fit  the  bore.  It  is  jsointed  at  the  end, 
with  sharpened  edges,  in  order  to  cut  its  way 
through  the  fibrous  fat  and  flesh,  and  is  guided 
by  three  elastic  feathers,  which  are  attached 
along  the  fuse  tube,  folding  around  it  when  in 
the  barrel.  The  gun  is  fired  from  the  shoulder, 
in  the  same  way  as  a  musket.  For  illustration, 
see  plate  xxiii. 


THE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY    WHALE.  27 

passed  through  or  along  the  edge  of  the  kolp,  where  the  gunners  chose  their  own 
distance  for  a  shot.  This  method,  however,  soon  excited  the  suspicions  of  these 
sagacious  creatures.  At  first,  the  ordinary  whale-boat  was  used,  but  the  keen- 
eyed  "Devil-fish"  soon  found  what  Avould  be  the  consequence  of  getting  too  near 
the  long,  dark -looking  object,  as  it  lay  nearly  motionless,  only  rising  and  falling 
with  the  rolling  swell.  A  very  small  boat — with  one  man  to  scull  and  another 
to  shoot — was  then  used,  instead  of  the  whale-boat.  This  proved  successful  for  a 
time,  but,  after  a  few  successive  seasons,  the  animals  passed  farther  seaward,  and  at 
the  present  time  the  boats  usually  anchor  outside  the  kelp.  The  mottled  fish  being 
seen  approaching  far  enough  off  fur  the  experienced  gunner  to  judge  nearly  where 
the  animal  will  "break  water,"  the  boat  is  sculled  to  that  place,  to  await  the 
"rising."  If  the  whale  "shows  a  good  chance,"  it  is  frequently  killed  instantly, 
and  sinks  to  the  bottom,  or  receives  its  death -wound  by  the  bursting  of  the  bomb- 
lance.  Consequently,  the  stationary  position  or  slow  movement  of  the  animal 
enables  the  whaler  to  get  a  hurpoou  into  it  before  sinking.  To  the  harpoon  a  line 
is  attached,  with  a  buoy,  which  indicates  the  place  where  the  dead  creature  lies, 
should  it  go  to  the  bottom.  Then,  in  the  course  of  twenty -four  hours,  or  in  less 
time,  it  i-ises  to  tlie  surface,  and  is  towed  to  the  shore,  the  blubber  taken  off  and 
tried  out  in  pots  set  for  that  purpose  upon  the  beach. 

Another  mode  of  capture  is  by  ships  cruising  off  the  land  and  sending  their 
boats  inshore  toward  the  line  of  kelp  ;  and,  as  the  whales  work  to  the  southward, 
tlie  boats,  being  provided  with  extra  large  sails,  the  whalemen  take  advantage  of 
the  strong  northerly  winds,  and,  running  before  the  l)recze,  sail  near  enough  to  bo 
sible  to  dart  the  hand-harpoon  into  the  fish.  "Getting  fast"  in  this  way,  it  is 
killed  in  deep  water,  and,  if  inclined  to  sink,  it  can  be  held  up  by  the  boats  till 
the  slup  comes  up,  when  a  large  "fluke-rope"  is  made  fast,  or  the  "fin-chain"  is 
secured  to  one  fin,  the  "cutting- tackle"  hooked,  and  the  whale  "cut  in"  immedi- 
ately. This  mode  is  called  "sailing  them  down."  Still  another  way  of  catching 
tlicm  is  with  "Greener's  ITarpoon  Gun,"  which  is  similar  to  a  small  swivel-gun. 
It  is  of  one  and  a  half  inch  bore,  three  feet  long  in  the  barrel,  and,  when  stocked, 
weighs  seventy -five  pou  ids.  The  harpoon,  four  feet  and  a  half  long,  is  projected 
with  considerable  accuracy  to  any  distance  under  eighty -four  yards.  The  gun  is 
mounted  on  the  bow  of  the  boat.  A  variety  of  manoeuvres  are  practiced  when 
using  the  weapon :  at  times  the  boat  lying  at  anchor,  and,  again,  drifting  about  for 
n  cliance-shot.  When  the  animal  is  judged  to  be  ten  fathoms  off,  the  gun  is 
pointed  eighteen  inches  below  the  back  ;  if  fifteen  fathoms,  eight  or  ten  inches 
below ;  if  eighteen  or  twenty  fathoms  distant,  the  gun  is  sighted  at  the  top  of  its 
back. 


28 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    XORTU-WESTERN    COAST. 


I    I 


•  Itf 


Still  anothor  strategic  plan  has  boon  practiced  with  successful  results,  called 
"whaling  along  the  breakers."  Mention  has  been  already  made  of  the  habit  which 
those  whales  have  of  playing  about  the  breakers  at  the  mouths  of  the  lagoons. 
This,  the  watchful  eye  of  the  whaler  was  quick  to  see,  could  be  turned  to  his 
advantage. 

After  years  of  pursuit  by  waylaying  them  around  the  beds  of  kelp,  the  wary 
animals  learned  to  shun  these  fatal  regions,  making  a  wide  deviation  in  their  course 
to  enjoy  their  sports  among  the  rollers  at  the  lagoons'  mouths,  as  they  passed 
them  either  way.  But  the  civilized  whaler  anchors  his  boats  as  near  the  roaring 
surf  as  safety  will  permit,  and  the  unwary  "Mussel -digger"  that  comes  in  reach 
of  the  deadl)-  harpoon,  or  bomb -lance,  is  sure  to  pay  the  penalty  with  its  life.  If 
it  come  within  darting  distance,  it  is  harpooned  ;  and,  as  the  stricken  animal  makes 
for  the  open  sea,  it  is  soon  in  deep  water,  where  the  pursuer  makes  his  capture 
with  comparative  ease;  or  if  passing  within  i-ange  of  the  bomb-gun,  one  of  the 
explosive  missiles  is  planted  in  its  side,  which  so  paralyzes  the  whale  that  the 
fresh  Iwat's-crew,  who  have  beer  resting  at  anchor,  taking  to  their  oars,  soon 
overtake  and  dispatch  it. 

The  casualties  from  coast  and  kelp  whaling  are  nothing  to  be  compared  with 
the  accidents  that  have  been  experienced  by  those  engaged  in  taking  the  females 
in  the  lagoons.  Hardly  a  day  passes  but  there  is  upsetting  or  staving  of  boats, 
the  crews  receiving  bruises,  cuts,  and,  in  many  instances,  having  limbs  broken ; 
and  repeated  accidents  have  happened  in  which  men  have  been  instantly  killed,  or 
received  mortal  injury.  The  reasons  of  the  increased  dangers  are  these :  the  quick 
and  deviating  movements  of  the  animal,  its  unusual  sagacity,  and  the  fact  of  the 
sandy  bottor  being  continually  stirred  by  the  strong  currents,  making  it  difficult  to 
see  au  object  at  any  considerable  depth.  When  a  whale  is  "struck"  at  sea,  there 
is  generally  but  little  difficulty  in  keeping  clear.  When  first  irritated  by  the  har- 
poon, it  attempts  to  oscap(!  by  'running,"  or  descending  to  the  depths  below,  taking 
out  more  or  less  lino,  the  di'"eci.ion  of  which,  and  the  movements  of  the  boat, 
indicate  the  animal's  whereabouts.  But  in  a  lagoon,  the  ol)ject  of  pursuit  is  in 
narrow  passages,  whore  frequently  there  is  •<.^,  swift  tide,  and  the  turbid  water  pre- 
vents the  whaler  from  seeing  far  beneath  the  beat.  Should  tho  chase  bo  made 
with  the  current,  the  fugitive  sometimes  stops  suddenly,  and  tho  speed  of  tho  boat, 
together  with  the  influence  of  tho  running  water,  shoots  it  upoTi  tho  worried  animal 
when  it  is  dashing  its  flukes  in  every  ilirection.  Tho  whales  that  are  chased  luivo 
with  them  their  young  cubs,  and  the  mother,  in  her  oflbrts  to  avoid  the  pursuit  of 
herself  and  ofl"spriug,  may  momentarily  loso  sight  of  her  littlo  one.      Instantly  sho 


¥ 


.  >-^. 


M 


^■ 


41 


4         - '  ■  ■ " 


^S^'t^, 


S-.J      .•'f         «'  ;;,      V.-, 


■I 


1*      / 


1  '/    /., 


.i'     I'O. 


I' ., 

: !  ' 
.ill 


-1       .      I-.       !<■  t 

..•I       , 


1  n,-     A'  ,,    .   I'T  ;  .    '•         :         '1'' 

ii-i..,,'". 


\i    i' 


i  I.I 


.^  •     ■      (if      ■'l'^'      ;..;^(   el,.-. 


'■'.:;    si  I'll     a:.'i''    t     :i       , 

u■i:^^    '■..■(     '  :;        v  '1       ^    '         i>\    . 


:i!'>        .1.    }■< 


.1"  -      .;  •       Hi       .        Ill  ,       ,  . 

tl    l!\      '.    •  ;i    .^  ■    li!.',       i 


>.■<    •  >.  r.;v,-.    ,    1 
•I  'iin]   ii;-!    '-■ 

\'i     •        .1  -11:  Ml 


i     ;  I      •  i. 


1      1  •'  ,1'      r  ) 


';M'^.      Si. 'ill 


.'    I:      1"'     .  Hi|ii    i.i    VI' i 

-  '  ..       .      :^  ,1-,  ■..     ,...,.- 


( 


.    <'i    i.H-i  ,.;■  li . 

•il      :■      V   |j  W       I        '      ■<  I  .I.-':  J",.,      I  in  !■  .' 

'•!,: . , '  \    ,  !.-  ,'. . ;  ■•■  ■  ■     vri  .1  •■■  .  ;   'm,!-.,;  ■     ^' »-  i-n-. 

•  i(  ■  i;'ii      •    '    1  ■    ■•i;.M''    I,     I'll'     I    ,,,ui    .,i-',\;,    '    l.i.- 

*•'  '      si'    ll,    :'•!  I     '.  .'     I    'I     '    1"  i'm    ■  '.'    l!,"     hi>    1, 

I.  'I  -■        y  !    I     ii'    ,1.    i  I.,      ".      1  '     uSj     '      'I'     .;  --ivi'    i-     .\\ 

'm  'i,  ,     li'     ''  '1.     i:         v:  M  I      .  ■■      •  .1  1     t'.  ■■    ■;  i-l.i'!     •  :,t. 

I''      '    ■•:!    .   ■  ,  .,'.■'        ,  ,-!i  I  .''         ;  1        iti:y  '■ 


■  '     ;  I  r'sini,  ,,f 


I  « 


i 


I   :i 


♦  b 


F 


TnE    CALIFORNIA    GRAY    WUALE.  29 

will  stop  and  "sweep"  around  in  search,  and  if  the  boat  comes  in  contact  with  her, 
it  is  quite  sure  to  be  staved.  Another  danger  is,  that  in  darting  the  lance  at  the 
mother,  the  young  one,  in  its  gambols,  will  get  in  the  way  of  the  weapon,  and 
receive  the  wound,  instead  of  the  intended  victim.  In  such  instances,  the  parent 
animal,  in  her  frenzy,  will  chase  the  boats,  and,  overtaking  them,  will  overturn 
them  with  her  head,  or  dash  them  in  pieces  with  a  stroke  of  her  ponderous  flukes. 

Sometimes  the  calf  is  fastened  to  instead  of  the  cow.  In  such  instances  the 
mother  may  have  been  an  old  frequenter  of  the  ground,  and  been  before  chased, 
and  perhaps  have  suiTerod  from  a  previous  attack,  so  that  she  is  far  more  difficult 
to  capture,  staving  the  boats  and  escaping  after  receiving  repeated  wounds.  One 
instance  occurred  in  Magdalona  Lagoon,  in  1857,  where,  after  several  boats  had 
been  staved,  they  being  near  the  beach,  the  men  in  those  remaining  afloat  managed 
to  pick  up  their  swimming  comrades,  and,  in  the  meantime,  to  run  the  line  to  the 
shore,  hauling  the  calf  into  as  shallow  water  as  would  float  the  dam,  she  keeping 
near  her  troubled  young  one,  giving  the  gunner  a  good  chance  for  a  shot  with  his 
bomb -gun  from  the  beach.  A  similar  instance  occurred  in  Scammon's  Lagoon,  in 
1859. 

The  testimony  of  many  whaling -masters  furnishes  abundant  proof  that  these 
whales  are  possessed  of  unusual  sagacity.  Numerous  contests  with  them  have 
proved  that,  after  the  loss  of  their  cherished  ofi'spring,  the  enraged  animals  have 
given  chase  to  the  boats,  which  only  found  security  by  escaping  to  shoal  water  or 
to  shore. 

After  evading  the  civilized  whaler  and  his  instruments  of  destruction,  and  per- 
haps while  tliey  are  suffering  from  wounds  received  in  their  southern  haunts,  these 
migratory  animals  begin  their  northern  journey.  The  mother,  with  her  young 
grown  to  half  the  size  of  maturity,  but  wanting  in  strength,  makes  the  best  of  her 
TV  ay  along  the  shores,  avoiding  the  rough  sea  by  passing  between  or  near  the  rocks 
and  islets  that  stud  the  points  and  capes.  But  scarcely  have  the  poor  creatures 
quitted  their  southern  homes  before  they  are  surprised  by  the  Indians  about  the 
Strait  of  Juan  do  Fuca,  Vancouver  and  Queen  Charlotte's  Islands.  Like  enemies 
in  ambush,  these  glide  in  canoes  from  island,  bluff,  or  bay,  rushing  upon  their  prey 
with  whoop  and  yell,  launching  their  instruments  of  torture,  and  like  hounds  worry- 
ing the  last  life-blood  from  their  vitals.  The  capture  having  been  effected,  trains 
of  canoes  tow  the  prize  to  shore  in  triumph.  Tlio  whalemen  among  the  Indians  of 
the  North-west  Coast  are  tliose  who  delight  in  the  height  of  adventure,  and  who 
are  ambitioi  ■  of  acquiring  the  greatest  reputation  among  their  fellows.  Those  among 
them  who  could   boast  of  killing  a  whale,  formerly  had  the  most  exalted  mark  of 


30 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


. 


honor  conferred  upon  them  by  a  cut  across  the  nose  ;  but  this  custom  is  no  longer 
observed. 

The  Indian  whaling-canoe  L  tliirty-fivo  feet  in  length.  Eight  men  make  the 
crew,  each  wielding  a  paddle  five  and  a  half  feet  long.  The  whaling -gear  consists 
of  harpoons,  lines,  lances,  and  seal -skin  buoys,  all  of  their  own  workmanship.  The 
cutting  material  of  both  lance  and  spear  was  formerly  the  thick  part  of  a  mussel- 
shell,  or  of  the  "abelone  ;"  the  line  made  from  cedar  withes,  twisted  into  a  three- 
strand  rope.  The  buoys  are  fancifully  painted,  but  those  belonging  to  each  boat 
havL  a  distinguishing  mark.  The  lance -pole,  or  harpoon  -  staff,  made  of  the  heavy 
wood  of  the  yew-tree,  is  eighteen  feet  long,  weighing  as  many  pounds,  and  with 
the  lance  attached  is  truly  a  formidable  weapon. 

Their  wiialing- grounds  are  limited,  as  the  Indians  rarely  venture  seaward  f\ir 
out  of  sight  of  the  smoke  from  their  cabins  bj'  day,  or  beyond  view  of  their  bon- 
fires at  ni  i;ht.  The  number  of  canoes  engaged  in  one  of  these  expeditious  is  from 
two  to  riv(  ,  the  crows  being  taken  from  among  the  chosen  men  of  the  tribe,  who, 
with  silent  stroke,  can  paddle  the  symmetrical  canwi  close  to  the  rippling  water 
beside  the  animal ;  the  bowman  then,  with  sure  aim,  thrusts  the  harpoon  into  it, 
and  heaves  the  line  and  buoys  clear  of  the  came.  Tiie  worried  creature  may  dive 
deeply,  but  very  little  time  elapses  before  the  inflated  seal -skins  are  visible  again. 
The  instant  these  are  seen,  a  buoy  is  elevated  (Ui  a  pole  from  the  nearest  canoe, 
by  way  of  signal  ;  then  all  dash,  with  shout  and  grunt,  toward  the  object  of  pur- 
suit. Xow  the  chase  attains  the  liighest  pitch  of  excitement  for  each  boat  Ijeing 
provided  witli  implements  alike,  in  order  to  entitle  it  to  a  full  share  of  the  prize 
its  crew  must  lo.""  i'lcir  harpoon  in  the  animal,  with  buoys  attached;  so  that, 
after  the  first  attack  is  made,  the  strife  that  ensues  to  be  next  to  throw  the  spear 
creates  a  scone  of  l)rawl  and  agility  peculiar  to  tiiese  savage  adventurers.  At  length 
tlie  victim,  becoming  weakened  by  loss  of  blood,  yields  to  a  system  of  torture 
characteristic  of  its  eager  pursuers,  and  eventually,  spouting  its  last  blood  from  a 
lacera'ed  heart,  it  writhes  in  convulsions  and  expires.  Then  the  whole  fleet  of 
canoes  assists  in  towing  it  to  the  shore,  where  a  division  is  made,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  village  greedily  feed  upon  the  fat  and  flesh  till  their  appetites 
are  satisfied.  After  tlie  feast,  what  oil  may  be  extracted  from  the  remains  is  put 
into  skins  or  bladders,  and  is  an  article  of  traflic  with  neighboring  tribes  or  the 
white  traders  who  occasionally  visit  them. 

These  "whales  of  passage,"  when  arrived  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  Okhotsk 
Sea,  arc  seen  emerging  Ijetween  the  scattered  floes,  and  even  forcing  themselves 
through  the  field  of  ice,  rising  midway  above  tho  surface,  and  blowing  in  the  same 


*     I 


TUE    CALIFORXIA    GRAY    WHALE.  81 

attitude  in  which  they  arc  frequently  seen  in  the  southern  lagoons ;  at  such  times 
the  combined  sound  of  their  respirations  can  l)e  heard,  in  a  calm  day,  for  miles 
across  the  ice  and  water.  But  in  those  fiir  northern  regions,  the  animals  are  rarely 
pursued  by  the  whale- ship's  boats:  hence  they  rest  in  some  degree  of  security; 
yet  even  there,  the  watchful  Esquimaux  steal  upon  them,  and  to  their  primitive 
weapons  and  rude  processes  the  whale  at  last  succumbs,  and  supplies  food  and 
substance  for  its  captors. 

The  Esquimaux  whaling- boat,  although  to  all  appearance  simple  in  its  con- 
struction, will  be  found,  rter  careful  investigation,  to  be  admirably  adapted  to  the 
purpose,  as  well  as  for  all  other  uses  necessity  demands.  It  is  not  only  used  to 
accomplish  the  more  important  undertaking,  but  in  it  they  hunt  the  walrus, 
shoot  game,  and  make  their  long  summer -voyages  about  the  coast,  up  the  deep 
bays  and  long  rivers,  where  they  traffic  with  the  interior  tribes.  When  prepared 
for  whaling,  the  boat  is  cleared  of  all  passengers  and  useless  incumbrances,  nothing 
being  allowed  but  the  whaling -gear.  Eight  picked  men  make  the  crew.*  Their 
boats  arc  twenty -five  to  thirty  feet  long,  and  are  flat  on  the  bottom,  with  flaring 
sides  and  tapering  ends.  The  framework  is  of  wood,  lashed  together  with  the  fibres 
of  baleen  and  thongs  of  walrus -hide,  the  latter  article  being  the  covering,  or  plank- 
ing, to  the  boat.  The  implements  are  one  or  more  harpoons,  made  of  ivory,  with 
a  point  of  slate -stone  or  iron;  a  boat -mast,  that  se.70s  the  triple  purpose  of 
spreading  the  sail  and  furnishing  the  staff  for  the  harpoon  and  lance  ;  a  large  knife, 
and  eight  paddles.      The  knife  lashed  to  the  mast  constitutes  the  lance. 

The  boat  being  in  readiness,  the  chase  begins.  As  soon  as  the  whale  is  seen 
and  its  course  ascertained,  all  get  behind  it :  not  a  word  is  spoken,  nor  will  they 
take  notice  of  a  passing  ship  or  boat,  when  once  excited  in  the  chase.  All  is 
silent  and  motionless  until  the  spout  is  seen,  when  they  instantly  paddle  toward  it. 
The  spouting  over,  every  paddle  is  raised  ;  again  the  spout  is  seen  or  heard  through 
the  fog,  and  again  they  spring  to  their  paddles.  In  this  manner  the  animal  is 
approached  near  enough  to  throw  the  harpoon,  when  all  shout  at  the  top  of  their 
voices.  This  is  said  to  have  the  effect  of  checking  the  animal's  way  through  the 
water,  thus  giving  an  opportunity  to  plant  the  spear  in  its  body,  with  lino  and 
buoys  attached.  The  chase  continues  in  this  wise  until  a  number  of  weapons  are 
firndy  fixed,  causing  the  animal  much  eflbrt  to  get  under  water,  and  still  more  to 
remain  down ;  so  it  soon  rises  again,  and  is  attacked  with  renewed  vigor.     It  is  the 

""  It  18   said  by  Captain  Norton,  who   com-      several  yeara  ago,  that  the  women  engage  in  the 
mandecl  the  ship  Citizen,  wrecked  in  the  Arctic      chase. 


li 


f-v  1 


32  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


established  custom  with  those  simple  natives,  that  the  man  who  first  effectually 
throws  his  harpoon,  takes  command  of  the  whole  party :  accordingly,  as  soon  as  the 
animal  becomes  much  exhausted,  his  haidaira  is  paddled  near,  and  with  surprising 
quickness  he  cuts  a  hole  in  its  side  sufficiently  large  to  admit  the  knife  and  mast 
to  which  it  is  attached  ;  then  follows  a  course  of  cutting  and  piercing  till  death 
ensues,  after  which  the  treasure  is  towed  to  the  beach  in  front  of  their  huts,  where 
it  is  divided,  each  member  of  the  party  receiving  two  "slabs  of  bone,"  and  a  like 
proportion  of  the  blubber  and  entrails ;  the  owners  of  the  canoes  claiming  what 
remains. 

The  choice  pieces  for  a  dainty  repast,  with  them,  are  the  flukes,  lips,  and  fins. 
The  oil  is  a  great  article  of  trade  with  the  interior  tribes  of  "  reindeer- men :"  it 
is  sold  in  skins  of  fifteen  gallons  each,  a  skin  of  oil  being  the  price  of  a  reindeer. 
The  entrails  arc  made  into  a  kind  of  souse,  by  pickling  them  in  a  liquid  extracted 
from  a  root  that  imparts  an  acrid  taste :  this  preparation  is  a  savory  dish,  as  well 
as  a  preventive  of  the  scurvy.  The  lean  flesh  supplies  food  for  their  dogs,  the 
whole  troop  of  the  village  gathering  about  the  carcass,  fighting,  feasting,  and  howl- 
ing, as  only  sledge -dogs  can. 

Many  of  the   marked  habits  of  the  California  Gray  are  widely  different  from 
those  of  any  other   species    of  halmta.      It  makes  regular  migrations  from   the    hot 
i  southern  latitudes  to   beyond   the  Arctic  Circle  ;   and   in  its  passages  between  the 

I  extremes  of  climate  it  follows  the  general  trend  of  an  irregular  coast  so  near  that 

'  it  is  expoi^ed  to  attack  from  the  savage  tribes  inhabiting  the  sea -shores,  who  pass 

much  of  their  time  in  the  canoe,  and  consider  the  capture  of  this  singular  wanderer 

1  a  feat  worthy  of  the  highest  distinction.     As  it  approaches  the  waters  of  the  torrid 

1  zone,  it  presents  an  opportunity  to  the  civilized  whalemen — at  sea,  along  the  shore, 

Jj  and   in  the  lagoons  —  to  practice  their  different  modes  of  strategy,  thus  hastening 

the  time  of  its  entire  annihilation.      This  species  of  whale  manifests  the  greatest 
jj  affection  for  its  young,  and  seeks  the  sheltered  estuaries  lying  under  a  tropical  sun, 

as  if  to  warm  its   offspring  into  activity  and  promote  comfort,  until  grown  to  the 
size    Nature    demands  for   its    first   northern  visit.      When   the    parent   animals   are 
'  attacked,  they  show  a  power  of  resistance  and  tenacity  of  life  that  distinguish  them 

If »  from  all  other  Cetaceans.     Many  an  exper.  whaleman  has  suffered  in  his  encounters 

j  with   them,   and   many  a  one  has  paid  the  penalty  with   his  life.     Once  captured, 

i  however,  this  whale  yields  the  coveted  reward  to  its  enemies,  furnishing  sustenance 

for  the  Esquimaux  whaler,  from  such  parts  as  are  of  little  value  to  others.  The 
oil  extracted  from  its  fatty  covering  is  exchanged  with  remote  tribes  for  their  fur- 
clad   animals,  of  which  the  flesh  affords  the  venders  a  feast  of  the  choicest  food, 


-wiTw—"'"  -    ilUfi  wianp|pmim|piiRi,iiiiwii  ■.  iipinip  I  mMMov 


m.^ 


,# 


u, 


■■■^> 


^^ 


#^"!J 


Vi 


5) 


f    {^ 


,^r 


((<HU„I,-IJ  rtS  ■'■^'"' »"  ■  V  "Jw-, J.wi^»iii»^"'^^»«"»tip|^ 


-»«- 


v^A'/;   .y/j.vj( 


■//,  •    v,^•  ^  ;:r  1)    s  /'.  '( 


ii     I 


r'i    >:ir  :.r:s  it,' 


,.,..1    1,,-,-o'niv.  n.;-!.   ,  v,,.v, ;..;,,!    lui   'T^fA't/-.-   ;;    ;-^v.^ 
...   :.-,(;,..    ill.-     (,,•/    ..   h'-l    '.      1--    -I  '.r    .i.fr''-Knf  ^     .   -..      +-. 
,      ^..Iji.  1;    ]\    !■    ;it    I' h^Mi  :    1  ,1  ■.    t'.;liAv>    a,   '  <mi  0   n''     '.!•■.,  ■     "  '' ' 


•_')    ;l     :..-.>i     t!..i 


.r.  .   !i-t 


!■ 


I 


I 


l,i.,'|!'. 


•ih.   :■. 


'I.J    t^  (i       .    -iiKii 


i  . 


1  !     !)■■ 


1.     •    ,  vj.  i;.'  ,-  ■—  .1.1    r'-U,   (!!■  ■  !v:    11 


r    >!:otv 


!■  '.;,   ;n,  '!■■     ■•■'  Mi-iUw:'/    tli-      i.;!,^;.'ni  ,:; 


nvi.,. 


U'  "J  L»      * 


•  1* : 


t  . 


■  I 


:|.    I'vtl   1.  •■"' 


I 


iv.;rt 


I  ,1      iM.       ill'-    iH  h-:l!  v.  wnh     '•!■> 


I .   '\ ii I  jiivitv,  '.^.s  I'.ru  -if 


■K     t, 


■  ■   tor       tii     tur- 


r 


•fii:. 


i''  -^M'-f  Mi' 


i^'f 


r 


r  - 


^\ 


r^ 


THE    CAlirOBXIA     GRAY    WHALE.  ,j 

am.  .ho  Ai„s  form  n„  i„clispc„.»ble  »r.ic]o  of  clothing.  T.,o  .VoHh-wcl  Indian, 
rod^.o  .1,0  ,amo  comparative  benefit  n-om  the  cnptntod  animals  a,  do  the  Esqni- 
n.an.x  and  look  fonvard  to  it,  periodical  pas,age  throngh  their  circnmscribed  fi,hL. 
grounds  as  n  season  of  exploits  and  proBt. 

The  civilized  whaler  seeks  the  htmtcd  animal  fa  ther  seaward,  a,  from  year  to 
year  .t  learns  to  shnn  the  fatal  shore.  N'one  of  the  species  arc  ,„  eonstantU  and 
vartonsly  pursned  a,  the  one  we  have  endeavored  to  describe;  and  the  lar^e  bay. 
nd  lagoons,  where  these  animal,  once  congrestted.  bronght  forth  and  nurtnr  , 
thetr  young,  are  already  nearly  deserted.  The  mammoth  bones  of  the  Californ 
0..y  he  bleaehmg  on  .,.„  ,hore,  of  those  silvery  water,,  and  arc  scattered  along 
Ic  b.oken  coas,,  from  Siberia  to  the  Onlf  of  California;  and  ere  long  it  may  b! 

oT«  rPaci^^""'  "'"  ""'""■"'  ""'  "»'  ^=  """■^-O  -™8  '-»  -'  -t  »P  ei 


MaBINE  BllSQULS.— 3. 


I 


CHAPTER    II. 
THE    IIMJACK   AVIIALE. 

BALjENonntA   VEi.iFKin,    Cape.      (Pliitc  ii,   iig.    2.) 


Another  spocios  of  the  whale  tribe  is  known  as  the  Finback,  or  Finncr,  m 
geographical  distribution  i.s  as  oxtonded  as  that  of  the  Siilphurbottoni,  and  v 
ranks  next  to  it  in  point  of  swiftness. 

(^ne  picked  np  by  Captain  Poole,  of  the  bark  Sarah  Warren,  of  San  i'ran( 
adcrds  us  tlie  following  memoranda:  '  'ngth,  sixty-five  feet;  thickness  of  blu 
seven    to    ;  inches;   yield    of  oil,   seventy-live   barrels;    color  of   blulil'cr.  a 

white,      loj     if  head  ([uite  as  Hat  and   straight   as  that  of  the  Humpback.      ])ii 
the  longest,  two  feel  four  inciies  ;  greatest  widtir   lidrteen  inches;   its  ci  lor,  a 
lead,    streaked    witli   l)lack,   and   its   surface   presents   a   ridgy  appeoran.'.'    cross 
length  of  fringe  to  bone,  two  to  four  inches,  and   in  size  this  may  be  compan 
a  cambric  needle. 

A  Bakviiojitcra ,  which  caine  on  shore  near  tiie  outer  heads  or  t!ie  (iolden  ' 
gave  us  the  opportunity  of  obtaining  the  folhiwing  rough  measurements: 

rt.    In. 

Lrngth (10  00 

From  nib  -  end  to  pootomls 15  00 

From  Jiili-ciiil  to  corner  of  mouth 12  0() 

From  ni'j-end  to  eye 12  0(5 

From  notch  of  ciiiidid  lln  to  i^euital  slit 21  00 

From  notcli  of  caudal  I'm  to  vent Ill  0(1 

Expausiou  of  caudal  tin It  (10 

Its  fide  fins  and  (iukes  are  in  like  proportion  to  the  body  as  in  the  Calif 
Gray,  lis  throat  and  lireast  are  marked  with  deep  creases,  or  folds,  similar  ti 
Humpback,  Color  of  \n\rk  and  sides,  l)liick  or  blackish -blown  (in  some  in( 
Mills  a  curved  bund  ci'  ligiiter  .-hade  marks  its  U[)per  '■ides,  between  the  spii 
and  pectorals);  belly,  a  milky  white,  lla  back  fin  is  paced  nearer  to  the  ci 
than    the    hump    on    the    Humpback,  and    in    shape    approaches    to    a    rigid -ai 

1311 


TH^a    FINBACK    WHALE.  gg 

triangle,  but  rounded  on  the  for^vard  edge,  curved  on  the  opposite  one;  tlie  lon-^est 
Side  joms  the  back  in  some  examples,  and  in  others  the  anterior  od-^o  is  "the 
longest.  The  gular  folds  spread  ou  each  side  to  the  pectorals,  and  extended  half 
the  length  of  the  body. 

The  habitual  movements  of  the  Finback  in  several  poinfs  are  peculiar  When 
It  respn-es,  the  vaporous  breath  passes  quickly  through  its  spiracles,  and  when  . 
irosh  supply  of  air  is  drawn  into  the  breathing  system,  a  sharp  and  son.ewhat 
mus.cal  sour.d  may  be  heard  at  a  consulerable  distance,  which  is  nuite  distin.ui.h- 
able  from  that  of  other  whales  of  the  same  genus.  (We  have  observed  the  .ntervd 
between  the  respirations  of  a  large  Finback  to  be  about  seven  seconds  ^  It  fre- 
quently gambols  about  vessels  at  sea,  in  mid-ocean  as  well  as  close  in"  with  the 
coast,  daicng  under  them,  or  shooting  swiftly  through  the  water  on  either  side-  nt 
one  n..mont  upon  the  suri-.e,  belching  Ibrth  its  quick,  ringing  spou.,  and  the  ne^t 
ns.u^  submerg.ng  .  .If  henoath  the  waves,  as  if  enjoying  a  spirited  race  with  the 
:.,.^  T  ah.^  uader  a  press  of  sail.  In  beginning  the  descent,  it  assumes 
a   ^auety   of   pos,tw>ns :   somet.mes    ..oiling  over   nearly   on    its   side,    at   other   tln.es 

td";  le''  In"    ;r  •^"'"''    '^   ""^^   ""'   '-''   ''^^"'"'"«   "^^^'-'^  ^   perpendicular 
att  tude.        ,equentl3-^,t  rennuns  un  .he  surface,  making  a  regular  course  and  several 

mdoruj   'lows..'      Occasionally  they  congrega,:e  in  schools  of  fin.en   to  twent      :' 
-.      In  th,s  s.tuatuu.  v..   have    usually  observed   them   going   quickly  through    the 
-^t    ,  several   spout.ng  at  .he   same   instant.      Their   uncertain   movenLts,  howev 
~   Iten  shown.g  ,h,.,us.,lves  twice  or  thrice,  then  disappearing-and  their  swiless 
make  them  verv  difHcuit  to  canture      The  re.nlf«  ..f  ,  .''\\'ltntss, 

were  as   follou-   •   r,.        .-       ,  '''''''"'''  '^'^^'"P*'^  to  catch  th.Mu 

0  dcctulb,     1..U   al.hough  the   boat  ^.a.   i,.    ,,,Hiness   for   instant   lowerin.^    before 

i  ..:: : ,:"::"?  Tr: ''-  '""■"=••'  *-  '^^  '^^-^  --"-"--  -  ^-^  -"; 

bo  seen  of  then.    n,.    w  ..  ^■'^"    »"<'"",^'    "lore  would 

^n  instance  occurred   in    Monteivy  IJay    in   1805    nC  iW-     i    •  , 

:>    i^".>,   ui    1 000,   ol    hve    being   cap.ured  under 


36 


MAlilNE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


*      !■: 


I  ; 


the  following  circumstances:  A  "pod"  of  whales  was  seen  in  the  offing,  by  the 
whalemen,  from  tlieir  shore  station,  wlio  immediately  embarked  in  their  boats  and 
gave  chase.  On  coming  up  to  them  they  were  found  to  be  Finbacks.  One  was 
harpooned,  and,  although  it  received  a  mortal  wound,  they  all  "run  together"  as 
before.  One  of  the  gunners,  being  an  expert,  managed  to  shoot  the  whole  five, 
and  they  were  all  ultimately  secured,  yielding  to  the  captors  a  merited  prize.  We 
have  noticed  largo  numbers  of  these  whales  along  the  coast  during  the  summer 
months,  and  they  seem  to  be  more  together  at  that  particular  season  ;  but,  as  the 
opportunities  for  observing  their  habits  have  been  much  greater  at  that  time  of  the 
year,  we  may  have  been  led  into  error  upon  this  particular  point.  Their  food  is 
of  the  same  nature  as  that  of  the  other  rorquals,  and  the  quantity  of  codfish 
wiiich  lias  been  found  in  them  is  truly  enormous.  On  the  northern  coast,  the 
Finbacks,  in  many  instances,  have  a  much  larger  fin  than  those  in  warmer  lati- 
tudes, and  we  are  fully  satisfied  tint  these  are  a  distinct  species,  confined  to  the 
northern  waters. 

We  have  had  but  little  opportunity  to  observe  the  Finbacks  that  frequently 
rove  about  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  and  Fuca  Strait.  Several  have  been  seen,  however, 
in  May  and  June,  on  the  coasts  of  California  and  Oregon,  and  in  Fuca  Strait  in 
June  and  July  of  the  year  18G1;  these  observations  satisfy  us  that  the  dorsal  fin 
of  this  —  the  northern  species  referred  to  —  is  strikingly  larger  than  in  the  more 
southern  Finbacks. 

Appended  are  (lie  outlines  of  one  individual  of  several  seen  in  Qu^'on  Charlotte 
Sound,  in  February,  18G5,  which  is  a  fair  representation  of  them  all.  Those  wo 
have  noticed  about  Fuca  Strait  seem  to  have  the  l)ack  fin  modilied  in  size  between 
the  exti  ■  niely  small  one  found  ou  the  coast  of  Lower  California  and  the  one  here 
represented. 


•I, 


:       f 


'I 

i 
4 


t    » 


"^'■im     ^..T«p».   ^      V^-if- 


ww^^PWl^nwPWWB^ 


11 


Tr 


'  11 


h. 


1^  \ 


t 


» 

-> 

:■. 

.v^ 

:.,. 

1         3: 

»", 

'■  i 

'       *^ 

or. 

% 

;:■< 

1- 

*■     *! 


■.       I 


h 


r 

■f 

I 

f 

1 , 

1 

r* 

1 

^' 

•'^f^""/* 


/;4^ 


^.<p*->"  *^  ■' 


«' 


»'-^r-.>- 


-v: 


,; I 


THE    FINBACK    WHALE. 


37 


a 
r 

M 

CO 

O 


o 

2 

» 

w 

09 
> 
0 


CHAPTER  TIL 
THE    IIlMPnACK   WHALE. 

Meoajptera   VERSADiua,    Cope.      (Plate   vii,   fig.    1. ) 


P  M 


?•' 


The  Humpback  is  one  of  the  species  of  rorquals  that  roam  through  every 
ocean,  genorall}-  preferring  to  feed  and  perform  its  uncouth  gambols  near  extensive 
coasts,  or  about  the  shores  of  islands,  in  all  latitudes  between  the  equator  and  the 
frozen  oceans,  both  north  and  south.  It  is  irregular  in  its  movements,  seldom  going 
a  straight  course  for  any  considerable  distance  ;  at  one  time  moving  about  in  largo 
numbers,  scattered  over  the  sea  as  far  as  the  eye  can  discern  from  the  mast-head; 
at  other  times  singbj,  seeming  as  much  at  home  as  if  it  were  surrounded  by  hun- 
dreds of  its  kind;  performing  at  will  the  varied  actions  of  "breaching,"  "rolling," 
''finning."  "lobtai.mg,''  or  "scooping;"  or,  on  a  calm,  sunny  day,  perhaps  lying 
motionless  on  the  molten -looking  surface,  as  though  life  were  extinct. 

Its  shape,  compared  with  the  synunctrical  forms  of  the  rinback,  California 
Gray,  and  Sulphurbottom,  is  decidedly  ugly,  as  it  has  a  .short,  thick  body,  and 
frequently  a  diminutive  "small,"  with  inordinately  large  pectorals  and  flukes.  A 
protuberance,  of  variable  shape  and  size  in  dill'erent  individuals,  placed  on  the 
back,  about  one -fourth  the  length  from  the  caudal  fin,  is  calleil  the  hujnp.  An- 
other cartilaginous  boss  projects  from  a  centre  fold  innuediately  beneath  the 
anterior  point  of  the  under  jaw,  which,  with  the  flukes,  pectorals,  and  throat  of 
the  creature,  are  oftentimes  hung  with  pendent  parasites*  {Otioa  Sthnjysoni),  and  on 


♦Wo  jn-int  hero  Diill's  descripticn  of  the 
CjinmiiH  Kiil^'iiiiHs;  also  liis  remarkH  on  Uio  OHon 
SfimpHoni  (Proc.  Cnl.  Acad.  Sci.,  Dec.  18tl , 
187li).     Illusti'ationH,  figures  3  and  5,  plate  x. 

Cijainiif!  i^iiffusiis,  n.  sp.  Body  (lattonod,  elon- 
gate;  segments,  sub-equal,  outer  edges  ■uidely 
separtt'ed.  Urancbiro  single,  cylindrical  slender, 
with  a  very  short  papilliform  appendage  lieforo 
and    behind    each   brancliia.      Superior   auteuuie 


unusually  long  and  stout.  First  pair  of  hands 
quadrant  -  shaped  ;  second  pair  slightly  punctate, 
arcua'c,  emarginato  on  the  inferior  edge,  with  a 
pointed  tubercle  on  each  side  of  the  emargina- 
tion.  Thivd  joint  of  the  posterior  legs  keeled 
above,  with  a  prong  bo'.ow.  Ploon  e.vtremoly 
minute.  Segments  smooth.  No  ventral  sjjine.s 
on  posterior  segments.  Color,  yellowish  white, 
suftused  wllh  rose -purple,  strongest  upon  the 
auteuuro   and   brauuhiie.      Length,    0.41    inches; 


[38] 


THE    HUMPBACK    WHALE.  35, 

the  males  it  is  frequently  studded  with  tubercles,  as  upon  the  head.  A  buke 
also  rounds  down  on  the  lower  part  of  the  "small/'  nearly  midway  between  the 
hump  and  caudal.  Its  under  jaw  extends  forward  considerably  beyond  the  upper 
one.  All  those  combined  characteristics  impress  the  observer  with  the  idea  of  an 
animal  of  abnormal  proportions.  The  top  of  its  head  is  dotted  witii  irreo-ular 
rounded  bunches,  which  rise  about  one  inch  above  the  surface,  each  covering  Ln-W 
lour  square  mches  of  space.  ^ 

The  following  measurements  and  memoranda  of  a  male  Humpback  were  taken 
by  Captam  K  fe.  Rediield,  of  the  whaling  and  trading  brig  Manuella,  while  cruisin. 
m  IJehring  Sea,  September  17th,  18G6  :  ° 

Extreme  length rt.    in. 

Length  of  pectorals ^ 

Breadth  of  pectorals ^^     ^ 

Distance  from  Faoiit  to  pectorals 

Distance  from  corner,  of  mouth  to  snout '.'. ^^     ^ 

Distance  from  eye  to  snout   

Distance  from  spout -holes  to  snout 

Expansion  of  Hukes ^ 

BreaJfh  of  flukes ''!!".'.". ^^     ^ 

Distance  from  anus  to  flukes  "^     ^ 

11    G 

some  eight  or  ten  in  number,  were  m'l  '      ^     a Iv    "^     '   ""f  •  ^r^'^^l"    ^    -°   -'I   form. 

Habitat,  on  the  Humpback  AVhale(i/,™i;/.m      T;         ""^vmm.tncal ;    one    sometimes    nearly 

rcr.a,iU.,  Cope)  Montc.e-,  ^^io^^""'""      tT^l,  ^^^  "    /T'""f '  '■''  ''^^^^'^  =   °* 

bodi,  -MO  inches;  uf  lobes,  2.00  inches;  of  ori- 

Otiox,  Leach.  ^''^'   ^'^^  "^^^'^  ^    "^  '■cuta,   0.55  inch;    width   of 

nr        T       ,        ^  scuta,  O.IC  inch 
0/;o)i,  Leach.      Enov.   Britannica    si-inl    vnl  vr\  ■,  l  , 

iii,  p.  170.  •  '  ''•^'^^-  '°'-  Habitat,    on   the   Humpback   (J/    rcrmbais); 

Otion  Slimpmn,  Dull    n    s»  \   T   *''°   ^'"'•"""^''^  ^vhich  infest  that   spe- 

margin  concave ;  color  ( in  smrl.^   li,.l  f  ■        T,         ^    '    '^  "'''"•'.    Leach)   and  they  are 

^vM  a  dark  pu,^,le  str^  I^t^oS  ^S      m  '^1^ ^  ^^t W  ^  iV'^^  ^^^^'"'^ 

;-7s;iert;  itd^^rtu::;^  ^^  -r  ^-  --'--v:;:  ^z:^^. 

■aottlcd  with  dark  purple      The  Tow  ^  1  ,'      fbn  '"''    ""'?    '"    ""    ^'''''   1"^"^'^'.^   "^    --'l^^    «f 

orifice  i.s  transversJlv    striated    ,,nf   ''1\"^*'^°  '"'^^^'-^^'^^   l^^i'"-      I   «li"uia   bo   unwiliiu.^   to  dc- 

tl.o    upper   iaa.^u:  ili^  ^1,;:t/'^;:;2^  "?°,  'I"  ^^'^"''"'  ""^'^   ''   ""^  *^-'  ^^  ^^  «"^- 

wlute;    in   somc>   specin^ms  wUl     two      tn        '  '  *°  "'"   ^"'"   ^"""^^^'^   ^3^'   «t""P-n   for 

tions  or  small  lob^s  ab^e.^hioriCnr  ^r^'^'""'  "^"^  ""^  ^^'"''"^''^'^  ^^  ^^^  '-^  '"^' 


i 


I " 


t       I 


f 


40  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

Ft.       IB. 

Distance  from  genital  slit  to  flukes 17  0 

Length  of  folds  on  belly 16  0 

"Whole  breadth  of  folds  on  belly 10  0 

Distance  from  flukes  to  hump 12  3 

Length  of  hump  along  the  back 3  0 

Height  of  hump 1  0 

Depth  of  small  close  to  flukes 2  6 

Thickness  of  small  close  to  flukes 1  6 

Thickness  of  blubber,  five  to  ten  inches ;  color  of  blubber,  yellowish  white ; 
yield  of  oil,  forty  barrels;  number  of  folds  on  belly,  twenty -six,  averaging  from 
four  to  six  inches  in  width.  These  folds,  which  extend  from  the  anterior  portion 
of  the  throat  over  the  belly,  terminating  a  little  behind  the  pectorals,  are  capable 
of  great  expansion  and  contraction,  which  enables  the  Humpbacks,  as  well  as  all 
other  rorquals,  to  swell  their  maws  when  their  food  is  in  abundance  about  them. 

The  following  additional  measurements,  etc.,  were  taken  from  Humpbacks  capt- 
ured on  the  coast  of  Upper  California,  in  1872. 

1.  Sex,  female.  Color  of  body,  black  above,  but  more  or  less  marbled  with 
white  below.  Fins,  black  above,  and  dotted  with  white  beneath.  Color  of  blub- 
ber, white.  Number  of  folds  on  throat  and  breast,  twenty -one,  the  widest  of  which 
were  six  inches.  Yield  of  oil,  thirty- five  barrels.  The  yield  of  bone,  which  is  of 
inferior   quality,   is    about    four    hundred   pounds    to    a    hundred  barrels  of  oil. 

Ft.      In. 

Anus  to  notch  of  caudal  fin 12     C 

Genital  slit  to  notch  of   caudal  fin 12  11 

Length  of  genital  slit 3     6 

Size  uround  the  body  behind  pectorals . .  25  0 

Average  thickness  of  blubber 0     5 

Depth  of  small  at  junction  with  caudal  fin,  1     9 
Thickness  of  small  at  junction  with  caud- 
al fin  1    6 

From  nib-  end  to  hump 28  0 

Height  of  hump 0  10 

Length  of  hump 4    0 

Thickness  of  black  skin 0    OJ 

Eye  to  ear 2    0 

Length  of  ear  slit 0    IJ 

Navel  to  genital  slit 5     0 


Ft. 


Length  cj  animal 48 

Length  of  each  pectoral 13 

Thickness  of  each  pectoral 0 

Breadth  of  each  pectoral 3 

Expansion  of  caudal  fin,  or  flukes 18 

Breadth  of  each  lobe 3 

Thickness  of  each  lobe 0 

From  nib-end  to  pectorals 16 

Pectorals  to  top  of  back 4 

Corner  of  mouth  to  nib -end 10 

Corner  of  mouth  to  top  of  head 6 

Eye*  to  nib-end 10  10 

Eye  to  top  of  head 4    6 

Spiracles  to  nib -end 8    0 

Length  of  cderior  opening  of  spiracles..  1     6 


IQ. 

0 
0 
8 
5 
0 
6 
9 
0 
6 
0 
4 


The  nib -end,   or   point  of  the  upper  jaw,  fell  short  of  the  extremity  of  the 


*We  refer  the  reader  to   fig.  4,  plate  x,  for 
illustration  of  an  eye  taken  from   a  Humpback 


forty -six  feet  in  length, 
to  natural  size. 


The   figure  is  drawn 


\ 


1  , 
.1.  . 


i 


I 


;l         t 


'■     i 


(.    ^v    .->■, 


'.1 


1.  H'-'.Mr'.'iAOK'  I  Megap'iera  Vehsabilis  Cope  i   2.  .~i 


fi-ED  FiNN;.R.   :  HAL^NjprERA.  DAVir.-iiiN! .  Scanxon.l 


'i 


\t 


'    I 


THE    HUMPBACK     WHALE.  41 

lower  one  about  fit'tocn  inches.  The  tongue  and  tliroat  wore  of  a  leaden  eolor. 
The  orbit  of  the  eye  was  four  inrhes  in  diameter.  Tiie  lonjxest  ])late  of  bone,  or 
baleen,  was  two  feet ;   its  color,  bl  lek,  with  a  fringe  of  ligliler  sliade. 

2.  Sex,  female.  Color  of  body,  black,  with  slight  marks  of  white  lieneath. 
Color  of  pectorals,  black  above,  wliito  below.  Color  of  flukes,  l>lack  aliove  and 
below.  Color  of  bluldjer,  white;  average  thickness  of  same,  six  inches.  Ticld  of 
v)il,   thirty  barrels.     Cvdar  folds,  eighteen.     Tubercles  on  li^is.   nine. 

Ft.    In.  Ft.     In. 

Loiiffth  of  (iiiimiil 48  0  From  nib-einl  to  ijuctoruls 10  l! 

Li  ugtli  of  pector.als  l^i  0  Notcli  of  flukt's  to  iiuiis 11  'i 

iiiOadtU  of  pcctonilH 3  0  Notch  of  flukes  to  genital  slit 12  0 

Tliickiioss  of  iicctoials 0  8  L(n;,'th   of  longest  haleon 2  !» 

Expansion  of  tlukcs 11  0  Brcatlth  of  louyost  balocii 0  10 

Breadth  of  lUikos 4  3 

3.  Sex,  female.  Color  of  boily,  black  ubove,  sliglitly  mottleil  witii  white  and 
gray  l)elo\v.  Fins  an<l  llukcs,  Idaclv  aViove,  wlute  l)encath.  Color  of  Ijluhbcr.  wiiite  ; 
thickness  of  same,  six  to  nine  inches.  Yield  of  oil,  forty  Inirrcls.  Xumbi'.-  of 
laniinu',  li\'c  hundred  ;'.rid  fa-.y  ;    black,  streaked  with  ^vlllt(^  or  light  lead  ccdoi'. 

Ft.     In.  Ft.     In. 

Length  of  animal 52  0  End  ,if  hjwer  jaw  to  oyo 12  ."> 

Lengtli  of  peetcjral 12  0  Length  of  hji  , -est  baleen 2  8 

"Widtli  of  peetoral 3  (J  Breadth  of  longest  l)aleeii 0  i) 

End  of  lower   jaw   to  spiraeles 10  0  Length  of  fringe  to  baleen 0  5 

End  V  r  lower  jaw  to  eori.er  of  mouth.  .  .  11  !l 

It  is  proper  to  state,  that  flie  dimensions  of  the  skull,  or  upper  jaw- lion.',  of 
any  ordinary  sized  aiiiiiial  would  lie  about  lil'tecn  feet  long  by  sLx  broad.  The 
lower  jaw- lioiics,  which  iu'(>  joined  by  a  slight  symphysis,  are  eaidi  about  tlie  same 
length  in  their  curves,  and  are  about  one  foot  wide  and  eight  iiudies  thii'k  iiudway 
between  the  extremities.  The  (Idekaess  of  the  linnhar  vertebra)  is  about  eigiit 
imdies ;  the  distance  between  the  points  of  the  spur.,  two  feet  eight  ineiies ;  and 
the  weight,  tweiity-HMir  or  moi'e  pounds.  The  largest  ribs  are  from  nine  to  twelve 
feet  long,  measured  on  the  curve,  and  ten  to  fit'teeii  inches  in  circunifei'enc(>.  The 
aggregate  weigiit  of  two  well  ilried  specimens  (measuring  respe<'tively  lune  and  ten 
feet)  was  eighty  pounds.  '1  he  lirst  joint  of  the  pectoral  bones  may  be  set  down 
at  two  and  a  iiaU'  feet  in  length,  and  lh(!  same  in  circund'erence  at  its  tiiiion  with 
the  shoulder-blade.      This  section  of  the  lin  bones  (  xceeds  lifty  pounds  in  weight. 

The  usual  color  of  the  llum|)I)ack  is  black  above,  a  little  lighter  bidow,  slightly 
inarliled  with  white  or  gray;    1ml  sometimes  the  aiuuial  is  of  spotless  white  under  the 


%-» 


42 


M.lRIXi:    n.lMMAI.S    OF    THE    NORTU-WESTERN    COAST. 


■'  "■. 


fins  iunl  iil)i)nt  the  ahdoiueu.  Tho  posterior  edge  of  lln'  liuinp,  in  many  cxiin)|ili\s, 
is  tipped  with  pure  white.  The  niegaptcriv  varies  more  in  (lie  pnnhietion  of  oil 
than  all  ulleTs  of  the  roripials.  "We  have  frequently  soon  individuals  whieh  yiehied 
liut  eight  or  ten  liarrels  of  oil,  and  others  as  much  as  seventy  -  li\-e  ;  the  length  ol' 
the  animal  varying  from  twenty-Hx'e  to  scvontj'-jive  foot.  Most  of  thesi'  \ariations 
may  he  attrihnted  to  age  and  sex,  as  the  female-  with  a  large  eul)  hee.nnes  ipiite 
destitute  of  fat  in  her  eovering.  These  animals,  more  especially  the  smaller  or 
younger  ones,  are  infested  with  [)ai'asitic  crustaceans  [Cijaoutti  f^)iffiit<i/t<)j  whieh  collect 
in  great  iuui\liers  aiiont  the  head  and  ])oct(jrals  ;  or,  in  case  there  are  anv  wotnids 
n[)ou  the  hody,  these  trouhlesome  vermin  ar(>  sure  to  liml  them.  On  the  coast  of 
''alifornia,  in  ISoll,  we  captured  a  whale  of  ordinary  size,  which  liad  many  patches 
of  the>e  |)arasi(es  united  almost  in  one  mass  upon  that  portion  of  the  hody  wiiich 
was  exposed  when  tlu'  animal  came  to  the  surface,  anil  when  "cut  in  "  it  proved 
to   have  what    is  termed  a  "dry  skin,"   the  Iduhher  being   destitute"  of  oil;    this  was 

atlrihuted    to    the   almndaut f    ihese    tro  ihlesome    parasites.      The    llum|ihaclc    has 

aho  the  largest  l)arnacles  adhering  to,  or  imljcdded  in,  the  epidermis,  ahout  the 
throat  or  tins.  The  habits  of  this  whale  —  particularly  in  its  undulating  movements, 
iVcipient  "roundings."  "turning  of  llukes,''  and  iri-egular  coursi;  —  iire  (diaracteristic 
indications,  whiidi  I  In'  ipiick  and  practiced  eyi'  of  the  whaleman  distinguishes  at  a 
long  distance.  i'',vcu  when  beneath  the  surface  of  the  sea,  wc  ha\e  observed  them 
Jii-t  "under  the  rim  of  the  water"  (^as  whalemc^n  useil  to  say),  alternately  turning 
from  siile  to  side,  or  de\ialing  in  their  course  with  as  little  a[iparent  ellbrt,  and  as 
gracefully,  as  a  swallow  on  the  wing.  Like  all  other  rorcjuals,  it  has  two  s[rn\  id(>s, 
ami  when  it  respires,  the  breath  and  vapoi'  ejin'ted  through  these  apertures  l,''m 
the  "spout,"  and  rises  in  '  i  se])arate  colunuis,  which,  howevei',  unite  in  one  as 
they  asc(  nd  and  expand.  When  the  enormous  lungs  of  the  animal  are  l»rought 
into  full  play,  the  sp(!ut  ascends  twenty  feel  or  more.  When  the  whale  is  going 
to  windward,  the  inllnence  of  the  i)i'ee/.e  ui)on  the  vapor  is  such,  that  a  low,  bushy 
spout  is  all  that  can  be  seen.  The  number  of  I'cspirations  to  a  "I'ising"  is  cncimmI- 
ingly  \ai-iab|e  :  soinelinies  the  animal  blows  only  once,  at  another  time  si.\,  eight, 
or  ten,  and   from   tint    up   to  lil'tcen   or  twenty  times. 

Although  the  Humpbacks  ai'c  fouml  in  every  sea  and  ocean,  our  obserAations 
indicate  thai  ihey  resort  periodically,  and  with  some  den-riM'  of  regularity,  to  parti<'- 
ular  localities,  where  the  females  bring  forth  their  yoinig.  It  seems,  nioreo\a'r,  that 
large  numbers  of  both  sexes  nud^e  a  soi't  of  general  migr.ilion  from  the  warmer 
to  the  colder  latitudes,  as  the  seasons  (diaiige.  They  go  north  in  the  northern 
iiemisphere,  as  summer  ap[)roaclies,  and  return  south  when  winter  .sets  iii. 


Tin:     lll'MPBACK     WHALE.  43 

TIic  roUowinji-  (il)sorv;ifii)ii:"<  \V(M'o  inado  nlong  tlio  coasts  of  Xorth  and  South 
America,  and  in  Ocoanica.  In  tin'  years  1852  and  185o,  large  nuinl)ers  of  Iluinp- 
liaeks  resorted  to  tlu^  (!uU'  of  (liiayaqtiil,  coast  of  Peru,  to  ealve,  and  the  height 
ol'  tlie  season  was  dnring  the  nioiilhs  of  duly  and  August.  The  same  may  he  said 
of  the  gulfs  iiud  liays  situated  near  the  corresponding  latitudes  north  of  tln^  eipia- 
tor  ;  still,  instances  an-  imt  iuilVe(|uent  where  cows  and  their  cah'es  have  l)een  seen 
at  all  other  seasons  of  the  year  about  the  same  coast.  In  the  ]>ay  of  Vidle  de 
I'auderas,  coast  of  ^h•\'"o  (latitude  20"  HO'),  in  the  month  of  Deeemher.  we  saw 
numhei's  of  llu.nipbacks.  with  calves  hut  a  few  days  (dd.  In  ^^ay,  18")"),  at  ^Fag- 
daleua  l>ay.  coast  of  Lower  California  (about  latitude  2-^''  ."0'),  we  found  them  in 
like  numbers;  some  with  very  large  calves,  while  others  were  very  small.  The 
season  at  Tongatalioo  (one  of  the  I'l'iendly  Islands,  latitude  21°  south,  longitude 
171"  west),  according  to  Captain  lU'ckerman,  includes  August  and  Pe[)tend)er.  Hero 
the  females  were  usually  large,  yielding  an  average  of  forty  harrcds  of  oil.  imduding 
the  cut  rail  fal.  which  amo\nited  to  aliout  six  barrels.  The  largest  wdiale  taken  at 
this  jxiini,  during  the  season  of  1871,  produced  seventy-three  l)arr(ds,  and  she  was 
adjudged  to  he  se\'enty-(ive  feet  in  length.  It  is  worthy  of  ri'mark,  that  a  kirge 
majority  of  tlu'  whales  resorting  thither  were  white  on  the  under  side  of  the  bodv 
and  liiis.''' 


*  Eijiiuont  zodlojfists  havo  diviilcil  tlio  Humi)-  fourtli  tho  entire  lonprth  of  tho  body;  nose  inul 

hacks  int.)   several    siiccics.      tlra.v,   in  his    Ciln-  «i'.\cn  of  thr.jiit  liavo  roiiiid  warts;   belly  iilaited. 

Inijiii'  nf  /In-  }1rili.--li  ^fll.■<t•lnll,  1S.">0,  makes  inriitioii 

ot    till'    fiillDwuiL;-    iiauics    and    eiitward    dcscnp-  ,     .,        . 

,•  Calil'eniia    coast,    every    species    hero    doH<'rili,-d, 

and  {■veil  in  (lie  same  si'IkmiI  or  "{,'ani."     ^loi'c- 

1,  'MroAPTr.nA  r.oNonr\\\  {.Tohiislou'n  TTniiiphni'k  <>vcr,  \\(\  havo  experienced  the  Ki'^'n'csl,  dilllculty 

TF/in/c \  —  T!lac]i,  jiecteral  fins  and  beneatli  wliite,  in    lliidin;,'    any    two    of    these    stran;,'c    animals 

Mack   varied;   lower    lip    xvilh    two    series   of    („-  externally  ahke,  or  possossin-  anv  marked    -vn- 

lieivles;    ))ectoials    ncai'lv   oni'- third    the    cnliro  ,,.■                     ■,.       i-,i'                    ■.■   ".i        ,■„• 

,,,11           i  ■      ,1         ,.                 ,  ""      '"     ^pccilic    dlllerences.       It    tile    ddlcrenccn 
Icn--Ili  ;    dorsal    eloiivate,    ||„'    Inrnt    ed"-e    over 

end  nf  pectoral;   throat   and  belly  ,.'rooved.     Fo-  1""."''"'   ""'    '"   '■"»^< ''"'"''>'  'li'l'Tcnt  speci.s  aro 

male:    up)Mi'    and    lower    li|)    with    a    series    of  mainlaiiK'd,  we   conclu.le  llier(>   niusi   lie  a  ,';reat 

liiberi'les;    dorsal  nn  obscnr<>  pi'Dluliciniice.  nnmlier.     ^\'c■    have   observed,   both   in    the   .had 

'2.     JlEoAi'Tnn    .VMnacwv    (lirniiihtu     ITiiwp-  ami    livin.:;-   animals,   the   following,'    dill'crent    cx- 

^m^).-lilack,  belly  white;  head  with  round   tu-  ternal    marks:      1st.     Body    bla.k    ai.ove.    whito 

beneath       2d.   liody  l)|a(k  alinve  and   bclew.  with 


berdes. 

It.    Mr.oM'TiUA  l'oi'si;..c  {l\>rd,f  nr  Ciijir  llinup. 

hirl).      Porsal   n.'arly  n    t  llie  end  el'  i,e,'to,-,.,ls.  """''    '"'    '''^^   ''''"*"    >"""lin^'    under    ll,«-    throat 

I.    AlKiM'Tiia    Ki/iia    {Tlif    /v'(',;in().  — Dorsal  '""'    i''"'"*    '''«    abdomen;    i)ectoral    and    caudal 

small,  ;nid  tiehiiid  the  iiiiddl(>  of  the  back;   the  H"*    while    beneath,    or    Kli;jhlly    spotted    with 

l>ecbir:d    lin-    rather   short,    .nid    less    than    on,-.  black.       ;id.     liody   black    .Mbov,"  uhilr    benc-ilh. 


44 


MABIXE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    XOIITII -WES TERN    CO. 


In  tlio  Buy  of  >rontoroy,  Upper  Califoniia,  the  best  season  for  I 
in  the  mouths  of  October  and  Xoveml)er ;  but  some  whales  are  take 
peiioil  from  April  to  December,  including  a  part  of  both  of  those  i 
great  liody  of  these  whales,  liowever,  arc  observed  working  their  w; 
until  St[)tember,  when  they  begin  to  return  southward  ;  and  the  l)a; 
to  the  north,  many  of  the  reiurning  1)and  follow  along  its  shores  or  vi 
cni  extremity,  in  search  of  food,  which  consists  principally  of  small 
lower  orders  of  crustaceans.  AVhen  the  animals  arc  feeding,  the  wl 
\i"ry  l'a\'oral)lc  opportunity  for  their  pursuit  and  ca[)ture.  The  observ 
whaling  parties,  which  have  been  established  at  this  bay  for  over  .sev 
furnish  reliable  data  in  reference  to  the  periodical  movements  of  wha 
Paeilic  (/oust.  Of  the  Humpbacks,  individuals  of  every  variety,  size,  i 
l)een  taken,  including  oui-  of  the  most  gigantic  specimens  of  the  gem 
mal,  which  yielded  one  hundred  and  forty -live  barrels  of  oil,  was  ta 
when  the  usual  s(du)(d  of  large  megapteras  was  making  its  annual  \ 
ward.  Oui'  of  tin;  largest  of  these  whales  having  an  unusual  mark  — 
on   the    hump  — was  recognized   for  several   years  in  succession  in    its 

with  \uul(i'  side  ol  ,,cetoral  imd  taudal  iius  nf  ft  tain   I'lom  ciirt'l'iil  otisriTiitiou  ;    ii 

dark   iiHh-coliir.      .Itli.    Uody    l)liu-k    above,    with  iufostuil  by  llio  wmw.  i)iU'a!sitcs. 

^aay  mottliui,'  bcuoath.      In   all   thoso  varieties,  protuboniuco  palled  the  hump,  it 

both  the  caudal  aud  pectoral  fius  dill'er  ia  whapo  iJieviouisly  stated,   of   no   rep;ului 

and   si/.e  ;    the   latter   in    soino   individuals    boin;;  but  is  nearly  of  a  uniform  heigli 

excci'din^ly  lou;^',  narrow,  and  pointed,  as  rcpre-  odye  is  sonielinns  (i]>ped  with  w 

Kentcd  in  ii;4'uve  1   of  i)lato  vii ;    while  others  are  tubercles  on  the  heail  and  lips, 

comparatively  short  and  lu'oad,  as  shown   in  the  eut  on   all    we    have    examined,   I 

outline  ( page  ■!"),  which  also  shows  the  parasites,  Bpeciniens;    those    about    the    h 

(i)iumonly    called     barnacles,     adherinj,'     to     the  well -developed,   while    those    up 

throat,    pectorals,    and    C!Uidal    tin.       There    are  many  individuals,   are    scarcely  ] 

still   (itliers  \vhos(^    pect(irals  arc   nf   iul<'rmcdiate  sonu^   instances,   however,   they   ( 

pr(i]iortions,   but  terminate  alu'iiplly,   as  seen  on  thos  j  wliich  erown    Iho  sl>ull.      ' 

pa^'i'    IS,    which    also    represents    the    scallojjed  ularity  in  the  number  nf  fjular 

flukes  pri^sent  in  some  individuals,     (In  tjiis  11;;-  far  as  observed,    vary   iji    numbc 

\ire,  ihe  luark  "A"  shows  the  outlines  of  Kj)ira-  to  twenty-six.      In  some  cases  t 

eles,  which  form  nearly  a  riy;ht  arylo).     Ayaiu,  in  ti)  eacji  other;   Imt  tisually  tlioro 

other  examples,  the  caudal   tin  is  narrow,  point-  eillier    cross    or    terminate    neai 

ed,  and  lunate;    in  others,  st''l,  il   is  broad,  and  The   animals    are    all    described 

nearly  str;u;,dit  (Ui  Ihe  jiosU'rior  ed;.'c       All  these  aliove  ;    but    in    the    examples    \\ 

varieties  fecil  aiul  as;  ociate  to;,'ether  on  the  same  examined,  there  was  not  (Uie,  vvl 

(,'round,  aud  in  every  particular  their  habits  are  tinized,  which  did  not  reveal  so 

(he  same,  so  f'lr  as  we  have  been  a1>le  to  asci'r-  of  white. 


'  ""m  T"y   V-  --^ 


•  '•rwimim'mmr 


*^  '1^  "'1.^ 


:.f- 


^ 


£*■•>?' '^. 


¥'■ 


l^f 


'*^' 

%■ 


i,:?|| 


-jf 


^»F»M«i^^BWlf" 


^»# 


'.'.       '   //     .:.    ./- 


( '■;  > 


n  i 


■•).•) 


;    II 


.   •       'I,    '   r       ,      : 
i         ,-f  '  1 

!  -    I 


!-i-    •'  ir 


.)■  J:  •    til" 


I  .'> 


a: 

< 
w 


.-^ 


THE    UU MP  BACK    WHALE 

45 

:n4:::r  ,:2r:;;  „:rt:r  -  rP-  ^^^-^ 

Aflcr  many  ye„s'  study  of  the  charactorislic   haWl,  „r  tl,„  TT        ,     , 
liovo  tliat   tin.  fomnlo,  r,f  (l,(.   .      •  °  nuinpUck,  wo  be- 

exception,  *:        ,1'  :,::;■■'",  ""^'  '°-"'  "-■■  .V-S;    .-..*  .,,e.„  „,,.  n,a„y 
»SoJ.      I.,    their  „a„I  r,      he  ',   '■"'"     '°  ""'■''°™  ''■''"'  '"  "'«  -"■»»->)■ 

"b-eachin.,  ..hoZ^ "  I '' !::„ "f;;"'  -r  ""•"  -^  °"'^'-  ■■"■■" ■  - 

their  an,„n,„,,  a„He.       At  snel,    r  „  '"      '°  '""'""   ""-'y  ■■»■"  """-■''   '»■• 

-  -«..  an,,-  z  :::.r »:"  w  :::,r  r ;::  nr ;"" 

«...  which  I„ve-„at:  C   o.  ?       \:"r'1    '■  !    T""'°  ""'"  """  "■»■  '""^ 
»■»   ..h  eaeU  o.L,-  witlf't,::  ^e     n"!  .il  e'V  """"V'  ■"""'     "''^- 

f.-"ii.  ."i.l..   to  side    and   i,„l„l  •        ■         ,  ""'    ''""'"S  ocMsi'-.nallv 

ti.-  .■o.crihed  iC. :  =:!mu"    ■  °"":"*  '^ "'■■  "'"=«■ '-  ■-=--' 

tl.o  sa,uo  as  „„,  7f      he,     ,Se       7  "  "         """"  ^    '""  "'  '"'   '"■°'-'"'".>-  "  - 
Tl.e  oalf,  when  h,,„W         ,,     *     .^'''f '"%'">'  «™->h=  '".   ».■  twelve  ,„o,„hs. 

,,  '-""iionc   loitli,  IS   about  ono-fourth  tlio   IrMin-n,    ,.v   +i       i 

-'•klcs   by  holding  the  to:,t  bot.oeu  tho  cKfomitv     f        '  r    "" '   ""'   ^' 

"pother    rceliucs   a   little   on   one   side-    .-,    b  •''"''  "'   ^'P^'   ^^'"'^^    ^'''^ 

nearly-  out  of   water    .nd   1^.7;         '        ^^^    "''  l"^''""''    l^'^''^''^"    «f  ''-•    f"na 

way  t..;  ealv^  ^uT     .^ed  r^r""  t^ -^^    ^^^  ^^''^  '''-'-■      ^"    ^i^ 
Tl.o    IIu„n,baeks    -u  <        ,  '     """  "'^"'''•^'"-^fc  '^^  the  same  tln.e. 

-.•oe.w.  naU:r.;;:;::;;;'it  Lm,— .ir'^^Tr ""  '-^  - 

tliov  are   very   Hublc   to   .b.l-      i  i  '    ^  wlmleslnp',,   crew;   and    us 

;;"•..•  .«■- ...  the  hotton,,  a\':;  -s'l.  'r':,,::  :';:;t-  /'"™.  ^^  ;■.«  -... 

V  .t,  uulil   the  decomposition  of  i(s   (]„ ..,  ,  "  '""'  "'"  ''  '^"'^^   ^'^'^ 

"!'•      Iho  length  of  tunc  that  elapses  before  this  takes  place  of 


46  MAllIXE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NOBTII-WESTEllX    COAST. 

course  (lopencls  much  on  the  iloptli  of  water  and  the  solidity  of  the  animixl's  forma- 
tion ;  some  individuals  remaining  but  a  few  hours  on  the  bottom,  while  others  will 
remain  down  for  two  or  three  days  at  the  same  depth.  We  have  known  many 
whales  to  be  reeovered  when  sunk  in  from  forty  to  sixty  fathoms  of  water.  The 
moihiii  oj^erandl  in  hauling  these  di'composing  subjects  to  the  surl\ice  is  this:  If  the 
water  is  rough,  the  line  is  taken  into  the  bow-chocks'-'  of  the  boat;  then  uniting 
two  crews  in  the  after  part  of  om?  jjoat,  they  eitli'M"  haul  on  the  line  by  hand,  or 
with  a  tackle,  until  the  boat's  bow  is  nearly  sufjuierged,  or  flie  whale  is  lifted  ;  or, 
if  in  a  smocUh  bay,  two  boats  are  sometimes  used,  by  laying  a  spar  across  Ixjth, 
and  taking  the  line  betwee!i  them  over  the  spar,  wliiidi  serves  as  a  sort  of  windlass 
purchase.  If  the  dead  animal  lias  been  long  down,  in  a  consideraL'"  depth,  care  is 
taken  to  avoid  its  coming  up  under  the  boat ;  for  as  the  carcass  noars  the  surface, 
its  velocity  is  so  much  accelerated,  that  in  some  instances  the  animal  rises  with  a 
bound  which  equals  its  sprightliest  actions  before  life  became  extinct. 

The  megapteras  are  captured  by  the  Indians  of  the  North -western  Coast,  and 
the  E.-^qnimaux  aljout  the  sluu'es  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  in  the  same  manner  a  he 
California  Clrays,  as  has  been  described  in  the  o[)ening  chapter  of  this  work  ;  and 
the  natives  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  pursue  them,  as  well  as  other  rorquals.  When 
ii  whale  is  seen,  the  hakVirhi  (skin -boat)  is  launched  ami  manned  by  two  or  three 
men,  and  a  spirited  chase  ensues.  When  close  to  the  olyect  of  pursuit,  their  toy- 
like harpoons  arc  hurled  into  the  animal.  This,  however,  does  not  insure  an  im- 
mediate capture;  but  their  weapons,  which  are  pointed  with  glass  or  (lint- stone, 
and  barbed  with  bone,  are  so  fashioned,  that,  as  the  wounded  creature  writhes  in 
its  agony,  every  motion  tends  to  work  the  tortuous  instrument  farther  in  ;  and  at 
last  the  fatal  work  is  accomplished.  Each  whaler's  spear  has  his  own  jirivate 
mark,  and  should  the  prize  be  found  l)y  others,  they  seek  to  ascertain  by  this 
means  the  rightful  owners,  who  by  their  laws  or  customs  are  entitled  to  the  booty 
wherever  it  may  be  found. 

The  l)cst  points  for  IIuni[)back  whaling  on  the  coast  have  boon  Magdalena, 
Balenas,  and  Monterey  btiys  ;  but,  since  the  acquisition  of  Alaska,  nunuM'ous  places 
have  been  found  in  the  bays  and  about  the  islands  of  that  Territoiy,  which  donbt- 
less  in  the  future  will  become  prolitable  whaling  stations.  Several  baj's  around  the 
Aleutian  Arcliii)elago,  bordering  on  13ehring  Sea,  may  bo  indicated  as  likely  to  be 
valuable  for  this  business. 

*  Tho    1  low -chocks  are    two   pieces   of   wood      boat;   between  these  chocks  is  a  mctiillic  roller, 
fiiHtciietl    upon   each    side    of    the    stem    of    the      over  whicli  the  whale -lino  runs. 


THE   HUMPBACK    WHALE. 


4T 


O 


I 


^    ^ 


■^  c 


'J. 
u 
< 


0. 
0 

C/} 


i 


^ 


48  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    KORTII-WESTEllN    COAST. 


PUTLINES     OF     A     WuMPBACK,     FROM     ABOVE, 


.A.iV, 


^' 


i.' 


;'''■■ 


)^ 


-•^''^"^y^y Wl)ffeWT«iK-^^^W'  ■^g^-"  -ffww-ry  ?:way«gi-^7'gr?wg*^-y  Tpip  r^Tggiw'w*^' 


'.J  - .,jjyiiii.^«wP!W?^w 


J 


f    i, 


CHAPTER   IV. 
THE    SHARP- HEADED    FIXNEIl   AVHALE. 

B,VL^NOPTE«A  Davidson,,  Scammon.      (Plate   vii.   fig.  2.) 

« Jtn:„:ft;^t";!:L""n: ",  ""^"" ':  ™"  «■«  -»"- »"--  - 

ou  .1,0  ,,...,,0,.,,  „,.„,,.    ;,,i  '°,:^'  ™V'°  ■"•;—"-> »™  «,„„,  ,„„, 

in  „„„ .„  ,    :      „,      i       ,     r      "    •'""";'"  "■"°-  "-«  -l.lo,  we,.„  „„1  „itl, 

-,i.  .„„.„.„  .■.:..   ,;;",:";;i;:,rr  ■" .""^"' '-  "^■"'"°  "•""'"'■■  "■■■ 

■■'"' "— ' --•■■"--:  :::.:r:;;;jr:4:L;: 

*nus    fu3tu.s   was   roraarlmMy   woll    fomo.l 
"•"'  '"  l-i"t  of  colo,.-,„,u.K„,  ..orreH„o.ulo.l  witli  Tro-n  fork  of  ..,„,,,  t„    '  „,<,,,  „„  ';■   l!' 

t'""  "f    ;-...,  Ho„H.what  d,n.u....     The  following.  H,.i,ht  of  .,o..„  . ,   ^  "     ' 

i  omt  of  sin.iit  to  i-ornor  of  moulli  .       1     o 

Totnl  lon-th '■'•  '"•  ^'"'"'  "f  """"t  <"  fy..H 1     2i 

(""u.lal  (In  botwecn  rxircmitie^-   ','    !  J!"""'  "^  "'"""  '"  l'"'''""''« 1  lo' 

Width  of  rncl.  lolm  of  c^.M  lin     "  '  n    jt  ^         ''''  "^  '""'''  ^"  '""■'"•'"'" "    •' 

Mai.inj-mimmv,.,_7,  ""  "  '"'"  '"!'  'Jf  '"""•  to  conici'  of  mouth  0     .] 


50 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST 


in  it,  five  and  a  half  feet  long,  which  rrispelled  all  doubts  in  regard  to  i 
rity.  The  principal  distinguishing  features  of  this  wJialo  are,  its  dwarfish 
pointed  head,  which  in  form  i>:?"mbles  a  beak;  its  low,  falcated  dorsal  fi 
is  placed  about  two- thirds  of  t',o  length  of  the  animal  from  the  anterior  c 
of  its  lower  jaw,  which  is  the  longest;  and  its  inordinately  small,  pointed  ] 
which  are  marked  with  a  wliite  band  vihovo  and  near  their  bases,  and  ai 
about  one -third  of  the  animal's  lengtii  from  its  anterior  extremity.  The 
baleen,  in  its  natural  state  is  of  a  pure  white,  with  a  short,  thin  fringe  of 
color.  The  nuraljer  of  laminae  on  each  side  of  the  mouth  was  two  hun( 
seventy,  and  the  longest  of  these  measured  ten  inches.  The  surface  of  tli 
was  a  dull  Idack  above,  white  below.  The  under  side  of  both  pectoral  an 
fins  was  white  also.  Seventy  longitudinal  folds  extended  along  the  throat 
lower  portitm  of  the  body,  between  and  a  little  behind  the  fins ;  and,  ^ 
outer  surface  of  the  folds  was  of  a  milky  whiteness,  the  creases  between  tl 
of  a  pinkish  cast,  imparting  the  same  shade  to  tl  j  tlu-oat  ns  far  back  as  tl 
rals.     The  following  table  gives  the  proportions  of  this  specimen  : 

Lon{:fth  of  animal 2' 

Lciu'lh  of  jicctonils { 

ErciuUh  of  poetomls 

End  of  suout,  to  Kpiraclcs i 

End  of  snout  to  pcctoinls I 

End  of  Knout  to  corner  <jf  mouth 

Dorsal  to  fork  of  caudal  fin I 

DorRttl  junction  alon^'  tlu-  liack ! 

Dorsal's  liri^dit ( 

Caudal  I'm  from  jioint  to  point ' 

Bn'adth  of  lolios  uf  caudal  fin , I 

Fork  of  caudal  tin  to  anus I 

Folk  of  caudal  fiu  to  ftciiital  slit ! 

Depth  of  uuimul  at  pcctoralH I 


The  foregoing  measiu'ements  were  luu'riedly  taken  whih  the  whale  \\ 
cut  up,  which  was  rpiickly  accomplislied  ;  for  as  fast  as  the  Italians  strippe 
lilubber,  Iho  Indians  came  from  a  village  nciir.  ami  slashed  away  at  Ihe  ha 
flesh,  which  tluy  packiMl  dll'  t(i  their  camps,  declaring  loudly  that  the  i 
excellent  food.  The  coating  of  yellowish  fat  tiiat  iiu'aseil  the  body  averat 
inches  in  thickness,  and  the  yield  of  oil   was  aJiout  tin-ee  hundred  gaUons. 

The  habits  of  this  whale  are  in   many  r(>spects   like    tlioso    of   the    Finl 


TUE    SHARP. UEADED    FINNER     WHALE.  5^ 

plainly  accounts   for  whalemen   taking  it  to   ho   tl,.  .        cetaceans ,  which 

latituaes.  they  oft.n     hoot      L   T     ^       '"?       '"'  '''   '"''^"'^  ''''''''  ''  ^-^^ 


'!-, 


CHAPTER  V. 
THE   BOWIIEAI),   OR  GllEAT  POLAR  WHALE. 

Bal^ina  MYSTICETU8,  Liiin.    ( Pliito  xi.) 

Tho  Bowhoad,  or  Great  Polar  Wlialo,  is  by  far  the  most  valuabl'^,  in  a  commer- 
cial point  of  view,  of  all  tho  BakcaklcE,  and  is  the  chief  object  of  pursuit  by  tho 
whalemen  in  tlie  northern  seas.  From  its  great  j'ield  of  oil,  which  in  some  individ- 
uals has  exceeded  two  hundred  and  seventy -five  barrels,  with  a  production  of  bono 
or  baleen  equal  to  over  three  thousand  five  hundred  pounds,*  one  might  suppose 
it  to  be  the  largest  of  all  the  Cetaceans.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  fact,  for  it 
seldom  attains  the  length  of  sixty -five  feet,  and  it  is  a  stout  whale  which  measures 
fifty  feet  between  its  extremities.  The  striking  feature  of  the  animal  is  its  ponder- 
ous head,  forming,  as  far  as  our  observations  go,  more  than  one-third  of  the  whole 
creature,  which  i-i  short,  bulk_y,  and  bloated  in  its  appearance.  Its  upper  jaw,  or 
tlie  top  of  the  head,  is  curved  downward  more  than  tiiat  of  tlie  Riglit  AVliale 
{Bahana  Slehnldii?),  lu  which  it  bears  the  nearest  resemblance.  To  tlie  edge  of  this 
jaw,  the  long,  finely  fringed,  transverse  layers  of  baleen  are  attached,  projecting 
downward  and  i-utward,  and  hedging  in,  as  it  were,  the  animal's  tongue,  and  all  is 
in(dosed  by  the  under  lip  when  the  mouth  is  shut.  Tlie  tongue  is  incapable  of 
protrusion,  being  fixed  from  near  its  point  to  the  root.  It  is  a  mass  of  spongy  fiit, 
intermixed  with  sinewy  fiesh,  and  yiehls  one-tenth  as  much  oil  as  the  "bod^^-blub- 
ber."  The  two  extended  rows  of  baleen  wliicli  line  tlu;  sides  of  the  upper  jaw 
provide  the  means  l)y  wiiicii  tlie  animal  secures  its  insect  food,  which  is  tlie  chii-f 
sustenance  of  the  colossal  mysticetus.  Its  eyes,  which  in  size  (juadruple  tliosc;  of 
an  ox,  are  ]>laced,  one  on  each  side,  about  a  foot  above  and  behind  the  angle  of 
the  mouth.  The  .spiracles  are  at  the  apex  of  the  high  protuberance  on  the  liead, 
which  is  forward  of  the  eyes.  Its  short  l)ut  heavy  pectorals  are  placed  about  two 
feet  from  the  e\  c-!  and  nearly  in  a  horizontal  line  with  them,  Its  ears  are  a  little 
above  and    behind    the  eyes;    they  arc   siiiii)ly  openings,  not   over  one-fourth   of  an 

*  Vtde  Roj-h'  first,  voynf+o  in  tlio  Arctic. 

iw; 


im<lilliflmiiiir"^r-T  -Tm— aarBrMflM^rMfMi 


■ :  }^M '.  ,i.'  s  .(Ai  - j< ;  -yifi'^'i*  ;t.  .  / ;. ' 


t,   '/ 


':■■  •!•,.       •! 


r        li  1 


\ 


S-* 


%-■ 


cu.-.  1.,..,, 


■    < 


I     I 

■I  I 

i 


I 


,  * 


\    \  i 


THE    BOWIIEAD,     OR    GREAT   POLAR     WHALE.  53 

inch  in  extent,  and  in  soiao  individuals  they  arc  so  minute  that  it  is  with  the 
greatest  dilTiculty  they  can  be  discovered.  An  immense  caudal  fin,  which  forms  the 
posterior  limb  and  extremity  of  the  body,  is  from  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  in  exten- 
sion, and  in  shape  thick,  broad,  lunate,  and  notched  in  the  centre  of  the  posterior 
edge,  while  the  extremities  are  somewhat  rounded. 

I  am  indebted  to  Captain  J.  F.  Poole,  formerly  of  tlio  American  bark  N.  S. 
Perkins,  for  the  measurements  and  memoranda  of  a  mysticetus,  forty -seven  feet  in 
length,  which  was  taken  in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  August,  1807  ;  and  to  Captain  G.  L. 
Smith,  of  the  American  bark  Vineyard,  for  similar  statements  of  one  forty -five  feet 
long,  taken  in  the  same  ocean  during  the  season  of  1870,  as  follows:* 

CAPTAIN  Poole's  whale. 

Sex,  female.  Color,  black  on  back  and  sidcj ;  throat  white ;  also,  occasional 
white  spots  on  under  side  of  body.  Yield  of  oil,  ciglity  barrels  ( the  whale  was 
judged  large  enough  ordinarily  to  have  yielded  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  oil). 

Ft.     In. 

Length  of  animal 47     0 

Length  of  pectorals 8    0 

Breadth  of  pcctoralr. 4    0 

Distance  from  nib-  uud  to  spout-holes IG    0 

Length  of  spout- holes 1     0 

Distance  from  comer  of   mouth  to  nib-end 17  10 

Extension  of  Hukcs 19    0 

Thickest  blubber 1     4 

Average  thickness  of  blubber 0  11 

ThiekDesB  of  black  skin  ou  back 0    1 

Length  of  genital  sht 1  10 

Distance  from  genital  slit  to  vent 0    4 

Distance  from  genital  slit  to  flukes 9    0 

Length  of  longest  bono  or  baleen 10    G 

Length  of  fringe  or  hair  on  bone f2    0 

Breadth  of  longest  bone 1  01 

The  bone  was  imbedded  in  the  gum  of  the  jaw  ten  inches.  Number  of  layers 
of  bone  on  each  side  of  jaw,   three   hundred  and  thirty; J  weight  of  largest  slab  of 

*  We  regret  that  our  measur  meuttt  'f  Bow-  fTwo  feet  may  be  regarded  as  nearly  twice 

heads,  taken  in   Tchantar  Bay,   JSu,  w^re  lost  the  usual  length. 

in  changing  from  one  vessel  to  an>-),U"r  the  fol-  J  This  may  bo  a  fair  average,  and  370  is  the 

lowing  year.  highest  number  wo  have  counted. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0    !f  ia  I 


I.I 


1.25 


2.5 


'-  ^^    III 


2.2 


2.0 


U    ill  1.6 


<^ 


/a 


ei 


* 


*>..-■ 


^>. 


'/ 


yS« 


Photographic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


33  WIST  MAI>    .<:  'ftllT 

WIBSTIR.N.f.  USSO 

(716)  873-4503 


^ 


\^' 


iV 


<^ 


4 


%. 


-."is 


'^.^k.  <^^ 

^^t 


K 


^^%^*!^ 
#.^ 


6^ 


o 


li ' 


54  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTU-WESTERN    COAST. 

bono,  seven  pounds.  The  bone  extends  back  of  spout- holes  in  the  throat  three 
feet,  and  falls  short  of  nib -end  one  foot. 

CAPTAIN   smith's  WHALE. 

Sex,  male  ;  color  above  and  below,  black. 

Ft.     In. 

Length 45  0 

Girth  in  largest  place  ( behind  pectorals ) 28  0 

Length  of  pectorals 7  3 

Breadth  of  pectorals 3  9 

Nib-end  or  noso  to  pectorals 18  8 

Corner  of  month  to  nib  -  end 16  0 

Eye  to  nib -end IG  0 

Spout-holes  to  nib-end 14  0 

Length  of  opening  to  spout-holes  ( longitudinally ) 1  2 

Flukes  from  tip  to  tip 16  0 

Width  of  flukes  from  notch  to  junction  with  the  body 4  2 

Vent  to  flukes 8  10 

Genital  slit  to  flukes 12  0 

Size  around  the  "small "  at  genital  slit 19  0 

Length  of  longest  bono  or  baleen 9  6 

Width  of  longest  bone  or  baleen 1  0 

Average  thickness  of  blubber 0  9 

Color  of  blubber,  slightly  reddish.     The  number  of  layers  of  bone  on  each  side 
'!  of  the  jaw  was  three  iiundred  and  eight.     The  yield  of  oil  was  sixty  barrels ;  yield 

ii  of  bone,  one  thousand  and  fifty  pounds. 

%  When  the  Bowliead  feeds,  it  moves  through  its  native  clement,  either  below  or 

III  near  the  surface,  with   considerable  velocity,  its  jaws  being  open,  whereby  a  body 

of  water  enters  its  capacious  mouth,  and  along  with  it  the  auimalcula)  (termed  by 
the  wlialemen  "Right  Whale  feed,"  or  "brit").  The  water  escapes  through  the 
layers  of  baleen,*  but  the  insect  food  is  retained  l)y  the  fine  fringes  on  its  inner 
edges,  and  is  afterward  swallowed.  When  not  disturl)ed,  the  animal  remains  up, 
generally,  to  respire,  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  minutes,  during  which 
time  it  spouts  from  six  to  nine  times,  and  then  disappears  for  tho  space  of  ten  to 
twenty  minutes.  The  volume  of  vapor  ejected  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Right  Whale. 
Sometimes,  when  engaged  in  feeding,  it   remains  down  for  twenty -five  minutes  or 


1 

I 

* 


*For    illustrations    of    loyers    of    bolccn,    or  ius);  Right  Whalo  of  tho  North-western  Coast, 

"slabs    of    bono,"    as    nomod    hy    whalers,    see  {Jhlnaa   SiebokUif);  Sulphurbottom,    {SWbaldiua 

page  55,  which   shows  tho  relative  proportions  nu)/urcug);  Humpback  (Miyai^ira  veraabilis);  and 

of  tho  baleon  of  tho  Dowhcad,  {Dalaina  mystice-  tho  California  Gray  {lihachiancctea  ylauctiB). 


THE   BOWUEAD,     OR    GREAT   POLAR     WHALE. 


''■/■. 


ii 


Tlio  nbovo  illustration  rpprosonts  tlio  relative  proportions  of  the  full-grown  bnlccn  of  different 
Hpcfics  of  wlmlt'lxiiu'  vlmloH,  rh  follows  ; 


1. 

a. 

3, 
4. 

c. 
«. 


lliileon  of  the  Dowliciul,  or  Oioiit  Polar  Wlmlo. 

Balopu  of  tlio  Kiyht  AVlmlo  of  the  North-western  Const. 

Baleen  of  tlio  Hiil])hurl)<)ttom  AVluile. 

Baleen  of  the  Humpback  AVlialc. 

Baleen  of  the  Californiu  CI  my  AVhalc. 

Baleen  of  the  California  Gray  Whalo.  in  a  section,   showing  the  tnannor  of  its  being 

nnleddeil  in  the  gun;  of  the  jaw. 

Baleen  of  the  California  Gray  Whale,  in  a  section,  showing  how  the  fringes  lie  across. 


ii     I 


56 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTIl-WEHTERN    COAST. 


(I 


\k 


c 
n 

0 
0 

VI 


c 


I 
I 


■111* 


tp' 


Twwwwww^imipyniiii  II  ,!■ 


.-fei; 


■•■1< 


.; 


'   r 


r^^"" 


,  '1^1'^ 


^./ 


if 


'^1 


n 


..W  t:  A3 


■J 'J 


)IAH.E    -V. ''.'.!/.•.'/.  V     f.F     THE    Xo  U'n!  '      'iTFny    in. 1ST. 


:3 
* 


y-^'^:  i. 


m 


•r 


z 

/ 

!-.1 

/'•'■  r 

0 

/ 


\ 


\ 


\.c 


/ 


/■ 


^. 


m  ':-*■. 


Plate  X. 


:br^:^r    p 


1/ 


.sJ 


V 


•-.       -'       y- 


•\  9  »' 


SfitfM  d  -^f^.  ^'£A 


EYK  AND   PARASITES  OV  HALEEW  WHALES. 
Via.l.  CYAMU3   aCAMMatU.DALL  ♦  i        FI8  +  HIGHT  KTB  UK  HUMPBAnK,n«i  »i2B. 
t.    SCYAMim  MT.'iTICETI.DALl.  ♦  •<  „     5,  QTIUM  3T1MP;10NT  PAU.  n»'  sjn  IStasiit  Oh  Ca»ciM.  u  D.^i.  t  v») 

„    3,CYAKl.'b  SUFVUSTl.'J  TjALI,  »  *■         „    6.  CR-iTTl t.El'AS  RHAi.UlAIItCTI  DAL.I.. 


•  ^,  n  nPT^BI^^^Vv 


..ir- 


THE    BOWHEAD,    OR    GREAT   POLAR    WHALE.  67 

more.  The  depth  to  whicli  the  animal  descends  when  pursued  is  not  accurately 
known,  for  as  a  general  rule,  it  has  been  captured  "on  soundings"  in  the  Arctic 
Ocean  and  Behring  Sea,  as  well  as  in  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk,  where  the  depths,  in 
places,  do  not  exceed  a  hundred  fothoms,  and  from  that  to  less  than  fifty.  Some- 
times they  have  been  taken  in  very  shallow  water ;  yet  this  animal,  when  in  deep 
water,  has  been  known  to.  "sound  out"  a  line,  in  its  descent  and  return,  equal  to  a 
mile  in  length.  But  it  must  not  be  inferred  that  this  was  done  by  the  perpendic- 
ular course  of  the  whale,  for  it  is  found  that  the  line  runs  out  with  great  swiftness, 
when  the  creature  begins  its  return  to  the  surface.  Repeated  instances  have 
occurred,  where  the  animal,  after  being  fastened  to,  would  "sound;"  and,  if  the 
bottom  was  soft,  would  there  remain  motionless  for  quite  an  incredible  length  of 
time  for  this  species  of  Cetacea.  In  several  cases,  individuals  have  held  their  pur- 
suers in  momentary  expectation  of  their  rising,  for  an  hour  or  more.  One  instance 
occurred  with  Captain  Comstock,  (a  well-known  whaling -master),  in  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  when,  after  fastening  to  a  huge  Bowhead,  the  creature  descended  to  the 
muddy  bottom,  and  there  remained  for  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes.  The  day  was 
unusually  cold,  and  the  men  in  the  boats  became  much  chilled  during  this  period 
of  inactivity ;  and  to  use  the  captain's  own  words,  when  giving  an  account  of  the 
incident,  "The  old  sogger  nearly  played  us  a  game  of  freeze  -  out."  When  the 
whale  returned  to  the  top  of  the  water,  it  was  literally  covered  with  mud,  and 
appeared  much  exhausted.  A  thrust  of  the  lance  prevented  the  animal  from  again 
"sounding,"  and  after  throwing  up  hetvy  volumes  of  thick  blood,  in  its  spoutings, 
it  rolled  over,  "fin  out,"  with  but  slight  struggling. 

The  Arctic  Bowhead  is  comparatively  free  from  parasitic  crustaceans,  as  well  as 
barnacles.  Occasionally,  however,  a  species  of  Cyamus-f  is  present  about  the  head 
or  fins.  The  range  of  this  animal  extends  east  and  west  from  Nova  Zembla  to 
the  coast  of  Eastern  Siberia.     Its  northern  limits  remain  undefined  ;  and  it  is  sel- 

•fWe  quote  the  following  from  Dall's  paper  yellow.     Length  33  inches;  breadth  (of  body) 

on  the  Cyamua  myaliceti.     See  illustration,  plate  K^  inches.     Two  female  specimens. 
J   fi„^  2:  Habitot,   on   the  northern   Bowhead   Whale, 

probably  BaUena  myslicelua,  Linn.,  near  Behring 

Cyamus  mysticeti,  n.  sp.    Body  flattened,  and  Strait, 
subovate,  segments  adjacent.     Branchio)  single,  This  is  the  most  compact  of  the  three  spe- 

short,  stout,  pedunculated,  a  single  papilliform  ciea,  as  well  as  the  smallest.     I  find,  in  compar- 

appendage  behind  each.    Head  short  and  wide.  ing  large  series  of  C.  Scammoni,  that  a  consid- 

First  pair  of  legs  very  small.     Hands  all  simple  erable  variation  in  form   obtains  so  far  as  re- 

and  smooth,  fingers  greatly  recurved.     Carpal  ar-  gards  comparative  length  and  breadth,  even  in 

ticulation  in  the  second  pair  of  hands,  holf  way  adult  specimens,  and  these  differences  are  great- 

between   the   proiumal  and  distal  ends  of    the  er  than  those  observed,  in  the  same  characters, 

hand.    Fleon  very  minute.    Color  dork  brownish  between  the  sexes. 
llAamc  Mamhau.— a. 


,  t 


68  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

dom  seen  in  Behring  Sea  south  of  the  fifty- fifth  parallel,  which  is  about  the  far- 
thest southern  extent  of  the  winter  ice ;  while  in  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk  the  southern 
limit  of  this  species  is  about  the  latitude  of  54°.  In  tracing  the  history  of  its 
capture,  we  can  revert  to  the  Dutch  and  Russian  fishery  about  Spitzbergen  anterior 
to  1C15,  and  we  find  that,  as  years  passed  on,  it  was  extended  westward,  on  the 
Atlantic  side,  as  far  as  the  icy  barriers  in  Davis  Strait,  and  the  adjacent  waters 
connecting  with  the  Frozen  Ocean.  Everything  tends  to  prove  that  the  Balcma  mys- 
ticetus  is  truly  an  "ice -whale,"  for  among  the  scattered  floes,  or  about  the  borders 
of  the  ice-fields  or  barriers,  is  its  home  and  feeding -ground.  It  is  true  that  these 
animals  are  pursued  in  the  open  water  during  the  summer  months,  but  in  no 
■'  instance  have  we  learned  of  their  being  captured  south  of  where  winter  ice-fields 

are  occasionally  met  with.  In  the  Okhotsk  Sea  and  its  bays,  these  whales  are 
found  throughout  the  season,  after  the  ice  disappears ;  nevertheless,  they  remain 
around  the  floes  until  dispelled  by  the  summer  sun  ;  and  they  are  found  in  the 
same  localities  even  after  the  surface  of  the  water  has  again  become  congealed  by 
the  rigors  of  returning  winter. 

Right  whales  were  pursued  for  several  years  on  the  North-western  Coast,  on 
the  coast  of  Kamschatka,  about  the  Kurile  Islands,  and  in  the  Japan  Sea,  before 
Bowheads  were  known  to  exist  in  that  part  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  adjoining  Behring 
Strait,  or  in  the  Okhotsk  Sea.  In  the  year  1848,  Captain  Rbys,  in  the  American 
bark  Superior,  was  the  first  whaling -master  to  work  his  vessel  through  Behring 
Strait  into  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  there  found  whales  innumerable,  some  of  which 
yielded  two  hundred  and  eighty  barrels  of  oil. 

The  '.abits  of  the  Bowhead  are,  in  many  respects,  like  those  of  the  Humpback, 
'  being  irregular  in   its  movements,   in    its  respirations,  and  in  the  periods  of  time 

cither  above  or  below  the  surface  of  the  Avater.  When  going  gently  along,  or  lying 
,  quietly,   it  shows  two  portions  of  the  body :    the  spout- holes,   and  a  part  of  the 

back,  on  account  of  the  high  conical  shape  of  the  former,  and  the  swell  of  the 
latter,  which  is  about  midway  between  the  spout- holes  and  flukes. 

The  Bowheads  if  the  Arctic  may  be  classed  as  follows :  Ist  class — the  largest 
whales,  of  a  browr.  color ;  average  yield  of  oil  two  hundred  barrels.  2d  class — 
smaller,  color  black;  yield  of  oil  one  hundred  barrels.  3d  class — the  smallest, 
color  black;  yield  of  oil  seventy -five  barrels.*  Those  belonging  to  the  last  named 
class  are  generally  found  among  the  broken  floes  the  first  of  the  season,  and  they 
have  been  known  to  break  through  ice,  three  inches  in  thickness,  that  had  been 

*  We  do  not  mean  to  convey  the  idea  of  ape-     our  acquaintance  agree  that  the  difference  in  size 
ries  when  mentioning  classeB,  as  all  observers  of     and  shade  of  color  arises  from  differance  in  age. 


THE   BOWHEAD,    OB    QBEAT  POLAB    WH4LE.  59 

formed  over  water  between  the  floes.  They  do  this  by  coming  up  under  and  strik- 
ing it  with  the  arched  portion  of  their  heads.  Hence  they  have  been  called  "ice- 
breakers." In  point  of  color,  nearly  all  are  found  with  more  or  less  white  on  the 
under  side,  especially  about  the  throat  and  flns. 

Whalers  bound  to  the  Arctic  are  generally  at  the  "edge  of  the  ice,"  which  is 
met  with  near  lat.  60°,  about  the  Ist  of  May.  They  then  work  their  way  north- 
ward as  fast  as  the  broken  floes  will  permit,  keeping  as  near  shore  as  practicable, 
in  order  to  be  on  the  best  "whale -ground,"  and  to  avoid  the  ice.  Many  whales  were 
formerly  taken  off  Karaginski  Island,  lat.  59%  on  the  coast  of  Kamschatka.  Bch- 
ring  Strait  is  sufficiently  clear  of  ice  from  the  1st  to  the  20th  of  July,  for  ships  to 
navigate  with  comparative  safety.  A  large  fleet  collect,  and  grope  their  way  through 
ice  and  fog  into  the  Arctic  (as  teimed),  and  frequently  reach  the  high  latitude  of 
72°  north.  Occasionally  an  open  season  occurs,  when  whalemen  hazard  their  ships 
around  Point  Barrow.  Captain  Roys  entered  the  ocean  in  the  middle  of  July,  and 
left  on  the  28th  of  August,  but  at  the  present  time  ships  remain  until  October. 

The  pnncipal  herding -places  of  the  Bowheads  in  the  Okhotsk  were  at  the  ex- 
tremities of  this  great  sheet  of  water,  the  most  northern  being  the  North -cast  Gulf 
(Gulf  01"  Obijigha),  the  most  southern,  Tchantar  Bay.  The  whales  did  not  make 
their  appearance  in  North-east  Gulf  so  soon  as  in  the  bay.  Whalers  endeavored, 
as  soon  as  possible,  to  get  to  the  head  of  Tchantar  Bay,  where  they  found  the 
objects  of  pursuit  in  the  intermediate  water,  between  the  ice  and  the  shore,  long 
before  the  main  body  of  the  congealed  mass  was  broken  up,  and  before  the 
ships  could  get  between  the  ice  and  the  shore,  even  at  high  tide — the  boats  being 
sent  forward  weeks  previous  to  the  ships.  Soon  after  the  ships'  arrival,  the  whales 
avoided  their  pursuers  by  going  under  the  main  body  of  ice,  situated  in  the  middle 
of  the  bay,  where  they  found  breathing- holes  among  the  floes.  The  boats  cruised 
about  the  edge  of  this  barrier,  watching  for  them  to  emerge  from  their  covert, 
which  occasionally  they  did,  when  chase  was  instantly  given.  Frequently,  in  sailing 
along  this  ice -Held,  you  could  hear  distinctly  the  sound  of  whales  blowing  among 
it,  when  no  water  was  visible  at  the  point  whence  the  sound  came.  The  first  of 
the  season,  before  the  ice  broke  up  and  disappeared,  when  there  were  "no  whales 
about,"  the  question  was  frequently  asked,  "Where  are  the  whales?"  and  as  often 
answered,  "They  are  in  the  ice;"  and,  "When  do  you  think  they  will  come  out?" 
was  answered  by,  "When  the  ice  leaves."  It  has  been  established,  beyond  question, 
that  this  species  pass  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  or  rather,  if  we  may  be  al- 
lowed the  expression,  from  the  Atlantic  Arctic  to  the  Pacific  Arctic,  by  the  north ; 
and,  too,  it  is  equally  certain  that  numerous  air-holes  always  exist  in  the  ice  that 


fi  i 


60  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

covers  the  Arctic  waters,  even  in  the  coldest  latitudes.  These  fissures  are  caused 
by  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides,  and  contraction  and  expansion  of  the  ice.  Storms 
acting  upon  the  water  hundreds  of  miles  distant  also  have  their  influence  in  rend- 
ing asunder  the  icy  fetters  of  those  frozen  aeas.  It  appears  to  us  not  improbable 
that  the  Bowhead,  has  a  feeding  and  breeding  ground  in  a  polar  sea.  And  as  they 
have  never  been  seen  during  the  winter  months  in  any  other  quarter  of  the  globe, 
except  as  before  raentiored,  it  would  appear  that  they  must  either  remain  among 
the  rough  water  and  broken  ice,  a(  the  southern  edge  of  the  winter  barrier,  or 
migrate  to  some  remote  sea  unknown  to  man. 

OKHOTSK    SEA    BOGHEADS. 

The  preceding  remarks  have  been  confined  chiefly  to  the  Bowheads  of  the  Arc- 
tic, in  the  vicinity  of  Behring  Strait,  north  and  south.  The  Okhotsk  Sea  at  one 
time  equaled  if  not  surpassed  the  Arctic  as  a  productive  whaling -ground.  Our 
memorandum  does  not  state  with  certainty  what  year  Bowheads  were  first  taken 
in  the  Okhotsk.  It,  however,  was  not  earlier  than  1847,  nor  later  than  1849.* 
They  were  found  to  be  easy  of  capture,  and  yielded  a  large  amount  of  oil  and 
bone.  On  making  further  explorations,  the  whales  appeared  in  great  numbers,  and, 
from  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  head,  the  spout- holes  terminating  in  a  sort  of  cone, 
they  were  at  that  time  called  "steeple -tops."  But  a  few  years  elapsed  before  a 
large  fleet  of  ships  was  pursuing  the  animals  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  this 
vast  inland  water.  Tchantar  Bay,  Taousk  and  Penjinsk  gulfs  soon  became  noted 
whaling -grounds,  as  well  as  several  other  points  about  the  coasts.  The  Avhales  of 
this  sea,  as  far  as  known,  are  the  same  species  as  those  of  the  Arctic ;  although 
in  the  bays  is  found,  in  addition,  a  very  small  whale  called  the  "Poggy,"  which 
yields  but  little  oil  (twenty  to  twenty-five  barrels). f     Many  whalemen  are  of  the 

« 
*  Captain  J.  H.  Swift,  ytho  was  cruising  in      enced   and  yery  intelligent  whaling -masters,  it 

Behring  Sea  about  the  year  1847,  is  quite  posi-  is  desired  to  make  mention,  that  we  are  under 
tive  that  the  French  ship  Asia  was  the  first  to  much  obligation  to  them  for  valuable  data  in 
take  Bowheads  in  the  Okhotsk  (in  1847).  Cap-  relation  to  several  species  of  Cetacea,  more  es- 
tain  Roys,  of  Arctic  notoriety  ( before  spoken  pecially  as  they  are  regarded  as  very  correct  and 
of),  in  a  recent  interview,  seemed  equally  cer-  close  observers  of  the  habits  of  whales. 
tain  that  the  Asia  was  not  the  first  to  take  Bow-  t  We  are  convinced  that  there  are  two  van- 
heads  in  that  sea.  He  thinks  none  were  taken  eties  of  Bowheads,  which  are  found  on  the  same 
till  1848  or  1849,  and  that  the  American  ship  ground.  The  variation  from  the  animal  above 
Huntsville,  Captain  Freeman  Smith,  was  about  described  is  a  bunch,  or  sort  of  hump,  present 
the  first,  if  not  the  Jirsl,  to  take  Bowheads  in  on  the  top  of  the  "small,"  which  is  situated 
that  region.    In  justice  to  both  of  these  experi-  about  six  feet  forward  of  the  flukes,  extending 


i  ' 


THE    BOWHEAD,     OR    GREAT   POLAR    WHALE. 


ei 


opinion  that  this  is  a  different  species.  There  is  little  doubt,  however,  of  this 
being  a  young  whale  of  the  same  species,  as  its  blubber  is  close  and  fine,  produc- 
ing but  little  oil  in  proportion  to  size  of  body,  as  is  the  case  with  all  calves  or 
young  whales  of  every  description.* 


BOWHEAD    WHALING. 

In  the  Arctic  r>id  about  Behring  Sea,  the  whaling  is  "done  from  the  ship," 
as  it  is  termed:  i.  e.,  the  vessels  cruise,  and  the  look-outs  are  kept  aloft  as  usual, 
and  when  whales  are  seen,  the  boats  are  I'^'vered  and  the  pursuit  is  carried  on  in 
sight  from  the  ships,  unless  obscured  by  fo^-.  In  the  Okhotsk,  much  of  the  vhal- 
ing  is  about  the  bays,  particularly  Tchantar  Bay,  and  contiguous  waters.  The  nat- 
ure of  the  pursuit  is  such,  iu  these  locu  'ties,  that  the  inodua  operandi  is  quite  differ- 
ent.    Vessels  bound  to  Tchintar  Bay  endeavor  to  approach  the  land  off  Aian,  if  the 


along  the  top  of  the  back  two  to  three  feet,  and 
in  some  individuals  rises  in  the  highest  plnce 
about  six  inches.  The  sketch  on  page  56  will 
perhaps  better  represent  the  difference  in  shape, 
than  a  written  description.  Captain  Boys  sajs 
he  has  repeatedly  taken  them  in  the  Arctic,  as 
well  as  in  the  Okhotsk.  They  have  been  fre- 
quently taken  in  the  Norih-east  Gulf  (Okhotsk 
Sea).  Our  personal  observation  was  only  on  a 
dead  one  (in  Tchantar  Bay,  18C2),  and  on  that 
individual  the  protuberance  was  so  slight,  that 
it  would  not  have  been  noticed  unless  our  par- 
ticular attention  had  been  called  to  it.  Captain 
Bandolph,  of  the  American  whale -ship  South 
Boston  (1862),  informed  us  at  the  time  that 
nearly  all  the  whales  he  had  taken  that  season 
in  the  North-east  Gulf  were  " Bunchbacks,"  and 
yielded  a  very  large  amount  of  bone  in  propor- 
tion to  yield  of  oil.  Captain  Boys  also  men- 
tioned that  one  season  he  took  numbers  of  them, 
and  to  distinguish  them  from  others  they  were 
then  called  "Bunchbacks."  Several  whaling- 
masters  who  have  taken  them  observed  that  the 
spiracles  are  usually  situated  higher  than  upon 
those  not  having  the  bunch  or  hump  on  tJho 
"  small." 

*  Captain  Boys  is  of  the  opinion  that  the 


Bowheads  breed  but  slowly.  Moreover,  his  ob- 
servations of  many  years  in  northern  whaling, 
goes  to  show  that  the  young  of  this  species 
suck  but  a  short  time  compared  with  other  ceta- 
ceous animalR.  This  opinion  seems  quite  con- 
clusive when  we  compare  the  immense  head  and 
baleen  of  even  the  smallest  individuals  with 
those  of  other  species,  as  though  nature  had 
provided  them  with  immensely  capacious  iLouths 
to  gather  insect  food,  instead  of  drawing  suste- 
nance from  the  dam.  As  to  the  linear  propor- 
tions of  the  young  of  the  Bowhead,  in  com- 
parison with  the  dam,  there  is  a  diversity  of 
opinion  among  those  whalers  who  may  be  relied 
upon  as  men  of  excellent  judgment,  but  a  large 
majority  maintain  that  the  calf  is  not  over  one- 
fourth  the  length  of  the  cow,  and  usually  the 
proportions  would  bo  nearer  one -fifth.  From 
our  own  observations  on  the  young  of  other 
whales,  we  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
there  is  considerable  diversity  of  size  in  the 
young  of  all  whales  when  first  bom;  and  their 
rapid  growth,  imtil  weaned,  may  doubtless  be 
ascribed  to  the  constant  attention  of  the  mother, 
iu  affordihg  her  offspring  a  bountiful  supply  of 
nutritious  milk  from  her  capacious  and  prolific 
udder. 


62  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

ice  will  permit,  which  ia  generally  suflSciently  broken  and  scattered  by  the  20th  of 
June ;  then,  working  along  between  the  ice  and  the  Siberian  coast,  to  the  south- 
ward, as  far  as  practicable  with  the  ships,  they  dispatch  boats  to  follow  along  the 
shore  and  if  possible  to  reach  the  head  of  Tchantar  Bay,  where  whales  in  former 
years  were  to  be  found  in  very  large  numbers.  These  expeditions  were  always 
attended  with  excessive  labor,  and  much  exposure  as  well  as  risk  to  the  crews. 
Frequent  instances  have  been  known  of  boats  leaving  the  ships  off  Aian,  then 
threading  their  way  along  the  coast,  between  the  masses  of  ice,  or  between  the  ice 
and  shore,  as  the  ebb  or  flood  tides  would  permit,  until  they  reached  the  head  of 
Tchantar  Bay.  On  reaching  their  destination,  and  finding  whales  plenty  they 
immediately  commenced  whaling,  and  by  the  time  the  ships  arrived,  in  several 
instances,  whales  enough  had  been  taken  to  yield  a  thousand  barrels  of  oil. 
The  elapsed  time  from  leaving  the  ship  till  again  joining  the  vessel  in  the  bay 
would  vary,  from  one  to  three  weeks.  Meanwhile,  the  crews  lived  in  or  around 
their  boats,  being  afloat  when  making  the  passage  or  engaged  in  whaling ;  and 
when  driven  to  the  shore  by  the  ice  or  by  stormy  weather,  or  resorting  thither  to 
cook  their  food,  or  sleep,  the  boats  were  hauled  up  and  turned  partially  over  for 
shelter,  and  tents  were  pitched  with  the  sails.  Fallen  trees  or  drift-wood  furnished 
abundance  of  fuel,  and  by  a  rousing  fire  all  slept  soundly  when  an  opportunity 
oflcred ;  but  the  more  abundant  the  whales,  the  less  the  chance  of  sleep  for  the 
whalemen  in  those  high  latitudes,  where  daylight  lasts  nearly  through  the  twenty- 
four  hours  during  summer. 

TCnANTAR    BAY    WHALING. 

Arrived  on  the  ground,  with  the  boats,  all  surplus  provisions  and  outfits  are 
quickly  landed,  and  the  chase  begins.  Frequent  spouts  in  the  air  tell  that  the 
animals  are  all  around.  One  of  the  number  breaks  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
water,  between  the  land  and  ice,  and  is  at  once  pursuod  ;  but  perhaps,  before  the 
boat  can  reach  within  darting  or  shooting  distance,  the  animal  goes  down.  Then 
cornea  an  impatient  waiting  for  it  to  rise  again.  As  the  Bowliead  is  irregular  in 
its  course,  when  next  seen  it  may  be  in  another  direction.  Quickly  the  boat  is 
headed  for  it,  and  before  approaching  near  enough  the  whale  goes  down  again.  In 
this  way  the  chase  is  frequently  prolonged,  sometimes  abandoned,  and  other  whales 
Ttursued ;  or,  it  may  be  that,  when  nearly  within  reach,  the  animal  glides  under  a 
floe  and  thus  evades  its  pursuers ;  or,  if  harpooned,  it  may  run  for  the  ice,  and 
before  being  killed  reaches  it,  and  escapes  with  harpoons,  lines,  etc.  If  the  pursuit 
proves  successful,  the  captured  whale  is  towed  to  the  beach  at  high  tide,  and  a 


THE   BOWHEAD,    OR    OBEAT  POLAB    WHALE.  68 

scarf  is  cut  along  the  body  and  through  the  blubber,  to  'which  one  end  of  a  tackle 
is  hooked,  the  other  end  being  made  fast  on  shore ;  then  as  the  tide  falls  the  ani- 
mal is  literally  skinned,  the  carcass  rolling  down  the  bank  as  the  process  goes  on. 
The  bone  is  extracted  from  the  mouth  as  the  animal  is  rolled  over  and  presents  the 
best  opportunity.  As  soon  as  the  blubber  is  taken  oflF  it  is  "rafted,"*  and  lies  in 
the  water  until  taken  on  board  ship.  The  water  being  very  cold,  the  blubber 
remains  in  its  natural  state  for  a  long  time,  retaining  the  oil  with  but  small  loss. 
Whi'o  the  whaling  is  going  on  in  this  wise,  the  captain  and  the  "ship -keepers" 
improve  every  opportunity  to  work  the  vessel  near  the  whales.  If  there  is  an 
opening  between  the  ice  and  the  shore,  she  is  at  once  worked  through,  either  by 
towing,  kedging,  or  sailing.  On  meeting  an  adverse  wind  or  tide,  the  vessel  is  an- 
chored with  a  very  light  anchor,  so  that  if  beset  by  ice  unexpectedly,  in  the  night 
or  during  the  dense  fogs  which  prevail,  the  vessel  will  drift  with  the  floe,  thereby 
avoiding  the  danger  of  being  cut  through.  Heavy  fogs  prevail  until  the  ice  disap- 
pears, and  the  circumscribed  clear  water  being  crowded  with  vessels  and  boats,  much 
care  and  maneuvring  is  exercised  to  prevent  accident.  These  fogs  frequently  are  so 
dense  that  no  object  can  be  seen  much  farther  off  than  a  ship's  length ;  conse- 
quently, at  such  times  cruising  and  whaling  in  the  bays  is  full  of  excitement  and 
anxiety.  A  ship  may  be  lying  quietly  at  anchor  one  moment,  and  the  next  be 
surrounded  by  a  field  of  ice,  or  the  close  proximity  of  another  vessel  may  be  re- 
vealed by  the  splashing  of  the  water  under  her  bow.  Then  comes  the  blowing  of 
horns,  the  ringing  of  bolls,  the  firing  of  guns,  or  pounding  on  empty  casks,  to  in- 
dicate the  ship's  position,  in  order  to  avoid  collision. 

Neither  fog  nor  drifting  ice,  however,  prevents  the  whalers  from  vigorously 
prosecuting  their  work.  In  thick  weather,  when  neither  the  spout  of  tiio  whale 
nor  the  animal  itself  can  be  seen,  its  hollow -sounding  respiration  may  be  heard  a 
long  distance.  In  such  instances  the  boats  approach  as  near  as  can  be  judged 
where  the  sound  was  heard,  and  if  the  animal  is  found  and  captured,  it  is  at  the 
risk  of  the  boats  coming  in  contact  with  passing  ships,  ice,  or  what  not — and,  too, 
not  knowing  with  any  degree  of  certainty  what  part  of  the  bay  they  mny  be  in, 
the  first  and  main  object  being  to  capture  the  whale  at  all  hazards.  This  being  done, 
it  is  taken  in  tow  by  the  boats,  or  is  anchored.  Then,  if  the  crew  can  not  discover 
their  own  biiip,  but  meet  with  another,  the  custom  is  to  go  on  board  to  eat  or 
sleep,  if  nece.isary.  and  when  recruited,  or  the  fog  lifts  so  as  to  give  them  a  chance 
of  finding  their  own  vessel,  they  are  supplied  with  provisions,  if  needed,  until  they 

•  Tied  together  with  ropeB  in  a  sort  of  raft. 


64  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

can  reach  her.  If  anchored,  one  boat  always  remains  with  the  whale  while  the 
others  go  in  search  of  the  ship.  As  soon  as  found,  the  master,  learning  of  the 
capture,  makes  every  effort  to  work  his  vessel  to  the  dead  animal ;  or,  if  that  can 
not  be  done,  every  favorable  tide  is  improved  to  tow  the  whale  to  the  ship,  where 
it  is  cut  in  and  tried  out  in  the  usual  manner.  As  the  season  advances  the  ice 
disappears,  leaving  more  room  for  cruising  with  the  vessels,  when  the  fleet  becomes 
scattered,  and  tlie  features  of  the  whaling  change.  The  boats  are  then  kept  more 
of  the  time  on  board,  look-outs  are  stationed  at  the  mast-heads,  and  the  whal- 
ing is  principally  "done  from  the  ship."  Sometimes  two  boats  are  sent  to 
look  for  whales  in  an  adjoaiing  bay.  Meanwhile  the  nights  have  become  longer. 
Then  comes  the  "night- whaling."  The  phosphorescent  light  caused  by  the  whale's 
movements  in  the  water  shows  quite  distinctly  his  whereabout,  and,  the  Bowhead 
whales  being  easy  of  capture  compared  with  other  kinds,  "night -whaling"  is  often 
successfully  pursued. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  Bowheads  as  being  comparatively  easy  of  capture  but 
it  must  not  bo  inferred  that  the  pursuit  is  not  often  tedious  or  unsuccessful,  nor  is 
the  attack  made  without  risk  of  life  or  limb,  as  well  as  in  other  kinds  of  whaling. 
The  Bowheads,  compared  with  other  species  ol  whales  that  are  pursued,  are  con- 
sidered very  shy  and  timid.  After  the  ice  leaves  the  bays,  until  the  fall  winds 
begin,  much  calm  weather  is  experienced ;  and,  although  we  have  frequently  seen 
largo  numbers  of  whales  spouting  among  many  boats  scattered  over  the  water,  not  a 
single  animal  could  be  approached  near  enough  to  "dart  at"  with  the  hand- har- 
poon, or  to  present  a  fair  chance  to  shoot  a  bomb -lance  into  it,  notwithstanding 
the  boats  were  rigged  with  extra  large  sails,  in  order  to  take  advantage  of  the  light 
airs  or  winds  that  may  prevail  in  midsummer.  The  use  of  oars  or  paddles  would 
be  quite  sure  to  frighten  the  whales,  and  when  tiiero  is  not  sufficionl;  wind  "to 
sail  on  to  them"  there  is  but  little  or  no  chance  of  "getting  fast."  After  the 
"irons"  are  firmly  planted  in  the  animal,  or,  as  we  frequently  hear  whalemen  say, 
"after  the  whale  has  boon  fastened  to,  good  and  solid,"  down  the  creature  may  go 
to  the  bottom,  and  there  roll  until  cither  the  "irons"  are  torn  from  its  body  or 
the  lino  is  wound  about  it,  and  the  valuable  prize  may  bo  lost.  Cases  have  oc- 
curred where  the  animal,  after  being  "fastened  to,"  has  darted  to  the  depths  be- 
neath in  such  a  state  of  trepidation  as  to  unhoodingly  strike  the  rocks  or  sand, 
with  so  much  force  as  to  dislocate  its  head -bones,  and  cause  instant  death. 

The  breeding  -  places  of  the  Bowheads  soom  to  bo  a  matter  of  conjecture 
among  the  most  observing  and  experienced  whaling- masters.  The  only  place  known 
has  already  been  mentioned,   in  the  vicinity  of  Tchantar  Bay ;   and  a  diflcrenco  of 


•_W:^ 


THE   BOWHEAD,    on    GREAT  POLAB    WHALE.  M 

opinion  exi.t,  as  to  wLelher  the  "Pogglcs"  before  mentioned  are  cl,e.,  or  whether 
they  are  not  a  "^e^g-  .peeiee,  which  have  a  corresponding  relation  rtlet, 
grown  Bowhead,  that  .he  "ecrag"  Right  Whale  I.,,  .o  .hel^^er  ld«  of    hai 

™/^:'tth"'""'"^' ""'  '""^ '" "'  '""•''  "»-■  their'njh:!^:^" 

t^e  elwf  ,  .  """""■""'  '"'°«™^  """  ""  "■PP"'"''  '»  ^  •"■■o-ght  forth  by 

Okholek  Sea  have  ever  been  seen  passing  in  or  out  the  passage,  of  the  Kurile 

where  the  B     ,     .         \T*°''  """"^^  *°  """'  "''""'""""'  «">alem',,  a,  to 
I    ned  1^  ;°'°'*'''  '°  '""«  '""■"'  "■*  ^"""8.  "  »'-«  «.«  young  re- 

ThT,  b  r"  °  ---"W"  degree  of  maturity;  but  within  a  L  year^ 
hales  have  been  seen  around  Point  Borrow  with  young  calves,  and  that  relte 
hue  of  open  water,  .nacecssible  to  ships,  between  the  summer  i  e-border  andth^ 
northern  shores  of  the  American  continent,  from  Point  Barrow  to  Zks'  Lid 
doubtless  affords  ample  herding  and  breeding  places  for  the  mysticeTestnd  roroTaU 
Which  are  indigenous  to  those  icy  regions.  rorquals 


Mumn  w.inf^tj  _  f 


CHAPTER  VI. 
RIGHT  WHALE   OF  THE  NORTH-WESTERN  COAST. 

Balsna  SiEBOLDn?   Oray.    (Plate  xii.) 


This  great  northern  baleen  whale,  in  its  principal  proportions,  resembles  the 
Bakma  mysticetus.     The  latter,   however,  is  destitute  of  the  protuberance  called   the 
"bonnet,"   upon    the    anterior   extremity   of   its   beak -like    upper  jaw,   which    is  a 
I  peculiarly  prominent  feature  of  the  Bakena  Sieboldii.     The  color  of  the  Right  Whale 

,  is  generally  black,  yet  there  are  many  individuals  with  more  or  less  white  about  the 

li  throat  and  pectorals,  and  sometimes  they  arc  pied  all  over.     Its  average  adult  length 

i  may  be  calculated  at  sixty   feet — it  rarely  attains  to   seventy  feet — and    the   two 

I  sexes  vary  but  little  in  size.     Its  head   is  very  nearlN    one -third   the  length  of  the 

I  whole  animal,  and  the  upper  intermediate  portion,  or  the  part  between  the  spiracles 

and  "bonnet,"  has   not  that  even  spherical  form,  or  the  smooth  and  glossy  surface 
',;  present  with  the  Bowhead,  but  i.s  more  or  less  ridgy  crosswise.     Both  lips  and  head 

I  have  wart- like  bunches  moderately  developed,  and  in  some  cases  the  upper  surfoce 

!  of  the  head  and  fins  is  infested  with  parasitical  crustaceans.     Its  tongue  yields  oil 

I  like   the  mysticetus,   but    its  baleen    is  shorter  and  of  a  coarser  and    less  flexible 

'  nature.     The  average  product  of  oil  of  the  BalcBim  Sieboldii  may  be  set  down  at  one 

hundred  and   thirty  barrels ;   yet  there  have   been  many  individuals  of  this  species, 
I  captured  in  early  times,  that  yielded  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundi    1  and  eighty 

barrels.  The  amount  of  bone  ranges  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds. 
In  former  years,  the  Right  Whales  were  found  on  the  coast  of  Oregon,  and  occa- 
sionally in  large  numbers ;  but  their  chief  resort  was  upon  what  is  termed  the 
"Kodiak  Ground,"  the  liuiits  of  which  extended  from  Vancouver's  Island  north- 
t  westward   to  the  Aleutian   Chain,  and   from   the  coast  westward   to  longitude  150". 

In   the  southern   portion   of  Behring   Sea,  also   tipon   the  coast  of  Kamschatka,  and 
*  in   the  Okhotsk  Sea,  they  congregated  in  large  numbers.     The  few  frequenting  the 

coast  of  California  are  supposed  to  have  been  merely  stragglers  from  their  northern 
haunts.     Some,  indeed,  have  been   taken  (from  February  to  April)  as  far  south  as 


[MJ 


BIGHT    WHALE    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST.  67 

the  Bay  of  San  Sebastian  Viscaino,  and  about  Cedros  or  Cerros  Island,  both  places 
being  near  the  parallel  of  29°  north  latitude;  while  on  the  North-western  Coast 
they  are  captured  by  the  whalers  from  April  to  September,  inclusive.  The  Bahma 
SiMdii  is  regarded  as  being  a  distinct  species  from  the  southern  Right  Whale,  and 
is  universally  known,  by  American  whalemen,  as  the  "North-west  Whale."  This 
distinguished  baleen  animal  of  the  north,  in  its  geographical  distribution,  ranges  to 
the  Japan  Sea  and  Gulf  of  Tartary ;  but  how  many  species  or  varieties  are  included 
under  this  name  is  not  within  our  province  to  decide.  Our  observations,  however, 
make  it  certain  that  there  is  a  "scrag"  Right  Whale  in  the  North  Pacific  which 
corresponds  very  nearly  to  that  of  the  southern  ocean,  known  under  the  teciinical 
name  of  BaloBna  gibbosa?  and  which  yields  a  paltry  amount  of  oil. 

The  time  of  gestation  with  the  Balceiia  Sieboldii  is  not  known,  but  is  supposed 
to  be  nearly  one  year ;  tiie  dam  usually  producing  but  one  young  at  a  birth, 
although,  in  some  instances,  twins  have  been  observed.  The  new-born  "sucker" 
is  about  one -fourth  the  length  of  the  parent  animal,  which  relative  proportions  are 
approximately  uniform  in  all  the  whalebone  whales  which  we  have  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  examining.  It  has  ever  been  a  matter  of  mysterious  conjecture  with  the 
most  philosophical  whalemen,  where  the  northern  Right  Whales  go  to  bring  forth 
their  young,  and  whither  they  migrate  during  the  winter  months.  That  they  do 
not  go  into  the  southern  hemisphere  is  well  known,  and  it  is  equally  certain  that 
but  a  few  stragglers,  even,  roach  within  a  number  of  degrees  of  the  northern  tropic 
in  their  -.vanderings.  The  Esquimaux  about  the  no.  ih- western  shores  of  Behring 
Sea  speak  about  the  Bakena  mysticetus  resorting  to  the  bays  when  the  "small  ice 
comes,"  and  they  look  forward  to  that  season  as  a  time  of  plenty,  and  reap  a  kind 
of  marine  harvest  by  catching  numbers  of  them,  thus  securing  an  abundant  supply 
of  food  for  winter  store.  It  seems,  therefore,  beyond  question,  that  the  mysticetus 
is  quite  at  homo  in  that  region  at  the  beginning  of  the  Arctic  winter,  and  the 
immense  numbers  of  Bowheads  and  Right  Whales  that  would  necessarily  appear  in 
■•he  temperate  latitudes,  if  they  migrated  southward,  would  be  sure  to  arrest  the 
attention  of  passing  navigators,  who  frequently  go  fur  north,  even  in  the  winter 
Bcaso)),  to  make  their  passages  from  China  and  Japan.  Some  have  asserted  that 
these  animals  probably  congregate  around  the  borders  of  the  drifting  or  field  ice, 
which  joins  the  open  water  of  the  Pacific  about  the  Kurile  and  Aleutian  Islands. 
All  agree  that  they  do  not  pass  the  tropics  and  reach  the  southern  ocean.  The 
Bouthcrn  Right  Whales  resort  to  the  bays  in  that  region  to  bring  forth  their  young, 
and  formerly  were  sought  for  in  the  inland  waters  of  those  high  soutliern  latitudes, 
where  many  a  ship  quickly  completed  her  cargo  by  bay -whaling.     But  no  bay  has 


68  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

yet  been  discovered  north  of  the  equator,  in  the  Pacific,  where  the  north-western 
Right  Whales  go  to  calve ;  and,  as  before  mentioned,  nothing  is  definitely  known 
of  their  winter  resort.  The  last  seen  of  them  in  high  latitudes,  by  whalemen,  is 
on  their  return  from  the  Arctic  Ocean,  when  they  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Paul's  Island,  Behring  Sea,  in  the  month  of  October,  end  these  are  usually  very 
large.  In  view  of  all  the  facts  we  have  been  able  to  gather,  there  is  little  doubt 
that  these  gigantic  animals,  although  of  another  group,  have  the  same  constitutional 
habits  as  the  Sperm  Whales,  of  bringing  forth  their  young  at  any  time  or  place 
that  nature  may  require,  without  resorting  to  sheltered  inland  retreats.  In  the 
Okhotsk  Sea,  the  Right  Whale  is  found  toward  the  northern  borders  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season ;  later,  the  ships  cruise  in  the  southern  quarter,  about  the 
Kurile  Islands. 

We  find  the  habits  of  these  animals,  when  roaming  over  the  ocean,  full  of 
interest.  They  are  often  met  with  singly  in  their  wanderings ;  at  other  times  in 
pairs,  or  triplets,  and  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  water  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
liscern  from  the  mast-head.  Toward  the  last  of  the  season  they  are  seen  in  large 
numbers,  crowded  together.  These  herds  are  called  "gams,"  and  they  are  regarded 
by  experienced  whalemen  as  an  indication  that  the  whales  will  soon  leave  the 
ground.  Their  manner  of  respiration  is  to  blow  seven  to  nine  times  at  a  "rising," 
then  "turning  flukes"  (elevating  them  six  or  eight  feet  out  of  the  water),  they  go 
down  and  remain  twelve  or  fifteen  minutes.  It  is  remarked,  however,  since  these 
whales  have  been  so  generally  pursued,  that  their  action  in  this  respect  has  some- 
what changed.  When  frightened  by  the  approach  of  a  boat,  they  have  a  trick  of 
hollowing  the  back,  which  causes  the  blubber  to  become  slack,  thus  preventing  the 
harpoon  from  penetrating.  Many  whales  have  been  "missed,"  owing  to  the  boat- 
steerer  darting  at  this  portion  of  the  body.  Having  been  chased  every  successive 
season  for  years,  these  animals  have  become  very  wild  and  diificult  to  get  near  to, 
especially  in  calm  weather.  The  manner  of  propelling  the  boat  at  such  times  is  by 
paddling,  and  when  there  is  a  breeze,  by  sailing,  if  practicable,  using  the  oars  only 
when  it  is  not  possible  to  use  sails  or  paddles.  Sometimes,  during  the  first  of  the 
season,  the  animals  are  very  wild  and  shy,  and  for  days  in  succession  the  boats 
may  be  in  hot  pursuit  without  success. 

Among  right- whalemen  there  is  a  difi'erence  of  opinion  about  "going  on  to  a 
whale,"*  whether  it  is  best  to  get  out  of  or  into  its  wake,  to  avoid  "gallying"  it. 
As  regards  safety,  some  prefer  to  have  a  good  breeze ;  then,  setting  all  practicable 

*  "Going  on  to  a  whale"  ia  a  whaleman's  term  for  getting  near  enough  to  dart  the  harpoon. 


[ 


CM.  ScauMr.jn    del. 


RIGHT  WHALK  OF  THE 


Plate  xn:. 


EST  COAST  [HMuKUA  3iKR;H.r)::  ;■. -ray) 


Bri'Cr  A  Rev  /-if.*) 


tjju  im^wKii  wt  ^mmrmv^mi^r' 


THE    BIGHT    WHALE    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST.  69 

sail,  "run  over"  the  animal  to  leeward,  at  the  same  time  that  the  harpoon  is 
thrown.  The  whale,  after  being  struck,  often  runs  to  windward,  thrashing  its  flukes 
in  cve.y  direction.  After  going  a  short  distance,  it  frequently  stops,  or  "brings 
to,"  "sweeping"  as  it  is  said,  "from  eye  to  eye,"  and  at  the  same  time  making  a 
terrific  noise  called  "bellowing;"  this  sound  is  compared  to  that  of  a  mammoth 
bull,  and  adds  much  to  the  excitement  of  the  chase  and  capture.  Others  will  not 
stop  until  they  are  hamstrung,  as  it  were,  by  "spading."  The  spading  process  is 
performed  by  hauling  the  boat  near  enough  to  cut  the  cords  that  connect  the  body 
and  the  flukes,  either  on  the  top  or  underneath,  as  the  attitude  of  the  animal  may 
be.  A  large  vein  runs  alonf^  the  underside  of  the  "small,"  terminating  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  caudal  fin,  which,  if  cut,  will  give  the  creature  its  death -wound.  The 
instrument  used  for  cutting  is  called  a  "boat- spade,"  which  may  be  compared  to  a 
very  wide  chisel,  with  a  handle  six  or  eight  feet  long.  Sometimes  the  cords  are 
so  efTectually  severed  that  the  flukes  become  entirely  useless,  and  still  the  animal 
hardly  slackens  its  speed  perceptibly,  showing,  evidently,  that  its  pectorals  are  pow- 
erful pi'opellers.  Another  mode  of  stopping  the  whale  is  by  throwing  a  number 
of  harpoons,  detached  from  the  line,  into  the  "small;"  a  kind  of  torture  that 
would,  if  the  bleeding  victim  could  speak,  cause  it  to  entreat  its  tormentors  to  put 
an  end  to  its  misery.  Yet  not  unfrequently,  after  being  lacerated  on  every  side,  it 
holds  its  human  pursuers  at  bay  by  assuming  a  vertical  attitude,  with  flukes  upper- 
most, which  are  dashed  in  every  direction  witli  a  furious  swoop,  hurling  sheets  of 
spray  and  foaming  water  into  the  boats,  and  often  nearly  fllling  them.  But 
when  once  "brought  to"  it  will  remain  quite  stationary  for  a  few  minutes,  or  roll 
from  side  to  side,  giving  the  officer  of  the  boat  a  good  opportunity  to  shoot  a 
bomb -lance,  or  use  the  hand -lance  with  goou  effect,  which  soon  dispatches  it. 
Sometimes,  however,  one  of  these  huge  animals,  in  spite  of  the  bo:ab-guns,  har- 
poons, and  all  the  whaling-gear  combined,  will,  after  being  "fastened  to,"  make 
the  best  of  its  way  to  windward  with  the  boat,  taking  it  so  far  from  the  ship  as 
to  oblige  the  men  to  cut  the  line  and  give  up  the  chase.  Of  late,  Greener's  gun 
has  been  used  to  some  extent  in  its  capture.  But  before  harpoon  or  bomb  guns 
came  into  general  use,  the  whalemen  of  the  North-western  Coast  made  such  havoc 
among  these  colossal  animals  (which  were  regarded  as  the  most  vicious  of  their 
kind),  as  to  have  nearly  extirpated  them,  or  driven  them  to  some  unknown  feed- 
ing-ground. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE    SULPnURBOTTOM    WHALE. 

SiBBALDirs ' BDLFUBEiTB,  Ci)pe.     (Plate  xiii.) 


The  largest  whale  found  up^i  the  coast,  and  the  largest  known,  is  the  Sul- 
phurbottora.  Never  having  had  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  an  accurate  measure- 
ment of  its  proportions,  we  can  only  state  them  approximately.  Length,  sixty  to 
one  hundred  feet.*  Its  body  is  comparatively  more  slender  than  that  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Gray.  Its  pectorals  are  proportionately  small,  even  in  comparison  with  the 
Sperm  Whale's,  which  in  size  and  shape  they  very  nearly  resemble,  being  short  and 
rounded  at  their  extremities.  Its  caudal  fin  bears  about  the  same  proportion  to 
the  body  as  does  that  of  the  Finback,  while  its  dorsal  is  much  smaller  and  nearer 
the  posterior  extremity.  Its  head  is  more  elongated  ih^n  the  Finncr's ;  its  baleen 
is  broader  at  the  base,  the  color  being  a  jet  black  in  several  specimens  we  have 
examined,  while  others  were  of  a  bluish  hue.  The  Sulphurbottom,  in  its  food  and 
manner  of  feeding,  is  like  the  other  whales  of  its  genus.  It  is  a  true  rorqual, 
with  folds  beneath  the  anterior  portion  of  the  animal,  which  are  a  series  of  fine 
longitudinal  furrows.  The  color  of  this,  the  greatest  Avhale  of  the  ocean,  is  some- 
what lighter  than  the  dull  black  of  the  lesser  rorquals,  and  in  some  instances  it  is 
a  very  light  brown,  approaching  to  white ;  but  underneath  it  is  of  a  yellowish  cast 
or  sulphur  color,  whence  the  name  "Sulphurbottom"  is  supposed  to  have  arisen. 
Its  coating  of  blubber  is  unevenly  distributed  over  its  body,  massively  covering  the 
top  of  the  head,  but  more  thinly  disseminated  over  the  main  portion  of  the  trunk ; 
while  the  posterior  extremity,  between  the  trunk  and  caudal  fin,  is  more  heavily 
infolded  with  the  oily  covering  than  all  the  rost. 

♦Captain    Roys,    of    whaling    notoriety,    has  Length,  95  feet;    girth,  39  feet;   length   of 

kindly  furnished  me  with  the   following   memo-  jaw-bone,  21  feet:  length  of  longest  baleen,  4 

randa  of    a    Sulphurbottom    whale,    which    was  feet;  yield  of  baleen,  800  pounds;  yield  of  oil, 

taken  by  him  while  be  was  in  command  of  the  110   barrels;    weight  of   the  whole   animal,   by 

barque  Iceland:  calculation,  147  tons. 

[WI 


THE   SULPHURBOTTOM    WHALE. 


71 


A  Sulphurbottom  whale  is  found  in  the  Atlantic  as  well  as  in  the  Pacific. 
The  Pacific  species  occurs  at  all  seasons  on  the  coasts  of  the  Californias.  Diiring 
the  months  from  May  to  September,  inclusive,  they  are  often  found  in  large  num- 
bers close  in  with  the  shore,  at  times  playing  about  ships  at  anchor  in  the  open 
roadsteads,  near  islands,  or  capes,  but  as  a  general  rule  they  do  noi  approach  ves- 
sels with  the  same  boldness  that  the  Finback  does,  although  'vo  have  observed 
them  following  in  a  vessel's  wake  for  several  leagues.* 


♦Through  the  kindness  of  Doctor  J.  D.  B. 
Stillman,  of  San  FraHcisco,  Cal.,  wo  give  the 
following  extracts  from  Lis  journal  of  a  voyage 
between  that  port  and  Realejo,  Central  America, 
in  1850,  in  relation  to  a  Sulphurbottom  which 
followed  the  ship  Plymouth,  in  which  the  Doctor 
sailed,  for  twenty -four  consecutive  days.  The 
account  is  os  follows:  " November  13th :  We  are 
witnesses  of  a  very  remarkable  exhibition  of  the 
social  disposition  of  the  whale.  A  week  v  ■>  to- 
day, we  passed  several,  and  during  the  after- 
noon it  was  discovered  that  one  of  taem  contin. 
ued  to  follow  us,  and  was  becoming  more  famil- 
iar, keeping  under  the  ship  and  only  coming 
out  to  breathe.  A  great  deal  of  uneasiness  was 
felt,  lest  in  his  careless  gambols  he  might  un- 
ship our  rudder,  or  do  us  some  other  damage. 
It  was  said  that  bilge -water  would  drive  him 
off,  and  the  pumps  were  started,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. At  length  more  violent  means  were  re- 
sorted to;  volley  after  volley  of  rifle-shots  were 
fired  into  him,  billets  of  wood,  bottles,  etc., 
were  thrown  upon  his  head  with  such  force  as 
to  separate  the  integument ;  to  all  of  which  he 
paid  not  the  slightest  attention,  and  he  still 
continued  to  swim  under  us,  keeping  our  exact 
rate  of  speed,  whether  iu  calm  or  storm,  and 
rising  to  blow  almost  into  the  cabin  windows. 
He  seems  determined  to  stay  with  us  until  ho 
can  find  better  company.  His  length  is  about 
eighty  feet;  his  tail  measures  about  twelv'  feet 
across;  and  in  the  calm,  as  we  look  down  into 
the  transparent  water,  we  see  him  in  all  his 
huge  proportons.  November  20th:  The  bark 
Elrkwood  hove    \  sight,  and  bore  down  to  speak 


us.  When  off  a  mile  or  two  to  leeward,  our 
whale  left  us  and  went  to  her,  but  returned 
soon  after.  He  showed  great  restlessness  last 
night;  and  to-day,  whenever  we  stood  off  on 
the  outward  tack,  he  kept  close  below  us,  and 
rose  just  under  our  quarter,  and  most  commonly 
to  windward,  to  blow.  But  whenever  we  stood 
toward  the  land  he  invariably  hung  back  and 
showed  discontent.  This  afternoon  he  left  us. 
It  is  now  twenty -foui*  days  since  ho  attached 
himself  to  us,  and  during  that  time  he  has  fol- 
lowed us  as  faithfully  as  a  dog  an  emigrant's 
wagon.  At  first  we  abused  him  in  every  way 
that  our  ingenuity  could  devise  to  drive  him  off, 
lest  he  might  do  us  some  mischief ;  but,  save 
some  scratches  he  received  from  our  ship's  cop- 
pering, and  numerous  sloughing  sores,  caused 
by  the  balls  that  had  been  fired  into  him,  no 
damngo  was  received  by  either  of  us  from  his 
close  companionship,  though  cur  white  paint 
was  badly  stained  by  the  impurity  of  his  breath. 
We  long  since  ceased  our  efforts  to  annoy  him, 
and  had  become  attached  to  him  as  to  a  dog. 
We  had  named  him  'Blowhard,'  and  even  fan- 
cied, as  we  called  him,  that  he  came  closer 
under  our  quarter,  when  I  felt  like  patting  his 
glabrous  sides,  and  saying :  '  Good  old  fellow, ' 
As  the  water  grew  shoaler  he  left  us,  with  re- 
gret unfeigned  on  our  part,  and  apparently  so 
on  his.  This  story  of  the  whale  is  so  remark- 
able, that  were  there  not  so  many  witnesses,  I 
would  not  venture  to  tell  it,  lest  I  he  accused 
of  exaggeration.  There  were  a  number  of  ex- 
perienced whalemen  among  our  passengers,  who 
said  the  animal  was  a  'Sulphurbottom.'" 


78  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

It  is  rarely  that  the  Sulphurbottom  "bolts"  or  "breaches,"  yet,  when  engaged 
in  this  sprightly  act,  the  animal  presents  itself  in  that  degree  of  magnificence  which 
is  commensurate  with  its  inordinate  activity  and  immense  proportions.  The  Sul- 
phurbottom is  considered  the  swiftest  whale  afloat,  and  for  this  reason  is  but  seldom 
pursued,  and  still  more  rarely  taken.  Captain  Thomas,  of  the  bark  Lagrange,  in 
1857,  off  San  Bartolome  Bay,  caught  one  by  first  shooting  a  bomb -lance  into  a 
vital  part;  and  although  the  whale  ran  a  long  distance  before  "turning  up,"  the 
pursuers  were  enabled  to  keep  trace  of  u  among  the  large  number  around  by  its 
"spouting  blood."  When  the  animal  was  nearly  exhausted,  the  boats  approached 
near  enough  to  "get  fast,"  and  the  capture  was  completed.  This  individual  yielded 
about  ninety  barrels  of  oil,  and  measured  eighty -five  feet  in  length.  The  schooner 
Page,  of  San  Francisco,  succeeded  in  taking  several  Sulphurbottom  whales,  near 
Ascension  Island,  the  capture  being  made  with  the  bomb-gun  and  lance.  Notwith- 
standing that  a  large  proportion  of  these  whales  sunk  as  soon  as  dead,  the  whale- 
men were  enabled  to  save  them,  the  water  being  of  moderate  depth,  in  consequence 
of  which  they  rose  to  the  surface  before  decomposition  was  far  advanced.  The 
size  of  those  taken  by  the  Page  compared  favorably  with  the  one  taken  by  the 
Ixtgrange. 

Several  days'  trial  were  made  in  the  brig  Boston,  in  1858,  off  Cerros  Island,  to 
capture  these  animals.  It  was  in  the  month  of  July,  and  the  sea,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  discern,  was  mirked  with  their  huge  forms  and  towering  spouts.  Ten 
were  "bombed"  by  the  best  shooters,  who  affirmed  that  they  "chose  their  chance," 
but  as  soon  as  the  gun  was  discharged  the  whale  would  disappear,  and  that  was 
the  last  trace  seen  of  it,  except  a  patch  of  foam,  sometimes  mixed  with  blood.  On 
the  last  day  of  pursuit,  toward  evenintj,  another  vessel  appeared  in  the  offing,  and 
approached  within  a  mile  or  less,  when  the  last  trial  bomb  was  fired,  and  the  men 
in  the  boats  looked  eagerly  to  the  rising  of  the  wounded  whale,  but  in  vain.  A 
signal  was  made  from  the  approaching  ship  that  they  had  seen  the  animal,  as  it 
"broke  water"  close  to  their  vessel,  when  it  soon  rolled  over  dead,  and  sunk.  The 
swiftness  of  the  Sulphurbottom  under  water,  as  demonstrated  at  this  time,  appeared 
to  make  pursuit  impracticable.  Doubtless,  several  of  those  fired  at  received  mortal 
wounds,  or  were  killed  outright,  but  their  propensity  to  sink,  and  also  to  "run 
under  water,"  baffled  the  s^iiH  of  the  whalers  to  secure  them. 

On  a  second  voyage  of  the  Page,  six  of  those  immense  creatures  were  taken 
by  the  bomb -gun  and  lance,  off  the  port  of  San  Quentin,  Lower  California,  where 
the  moderate  depth  of  water  was  favorable  for  the  pursuit.  Large  numbers  of  them 
were  found  on  this  ground,  where  they  had  been  attracted  by  the  swarms  of  sar- 


•    k!i«ii>.aw*><i  ijjiv^iMwwRppnmpaBii* 


m 


C  M   Scam  man  dil 


THE   SL'LP 


VlPWli'¥    -*'^"''''"'^'~i'^'WI',MW'^!W^.i!«i"'«f"!!"l'!' 


Plate  Xtll. 


•^i^ 


RH0TT0.\n.i:8BA:,Di.ia   Kiit.FunEUs  .  C 


opt>  1 


^mtn  i  Knj  1,11, 


-I 


THE    SULPHVRBOTTOM    WHALE.  73 

dines  and  prawns  with  which  the  waters  were  enlivened  ;  and  the  whales,  when  in 
a  state  of  lassitude  from  excessive  feeding,  would  frequently  remain  nearly  motion- 
loss  ten  to  twenty  minutes  at  a  time,  thus  giving  the  whaleman  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  ghoot  his  bomb -lance  into  a  vital  part,  causing  almost  instant  death. 

The  enormous  size  of  the  Sibbaldius  sulfitreus  is  not  easily  to  be  comprehended 
by  the  reader,  when  compared  even  with  the  lesser  rorquals,  or  the  mysticetus,  or 
the  Cachalot.     In  1862,  the  whalemen  at  Monterey,  California,  killed   one  of  these 
immense  animals  which  measured  ninety- two  feet  in  length.     Before  they  could  tow 
it  to  the  station,   it  became  "blasted;"*  but  on  arrival,   no   effort  was  spared    to 
strip  the  colossal  prize  of  its  fatty  covering.     Accordingly,  their  "purchases"  were 
applied   to  roll   tiie  swollen  creature  over  upon   the   beach;   but  in   so  doing,   the 
capstan,  which  was  firmly  placed  on   the  bank,  and   had   lifted  many  a  large  whale, 
was  torn  up  and  the  "falls"  were  parted.     Finally  the  whalemen  gave  up  the  under- 
taking, and  only  cut  off  the  fat  that  could  be  reached  above  water.     In  contempla- 
ting this,  the  greatest  whale  of  the  ocean,  one  can  but  admire  its  prominent  char- 
acteristics, which  are  its  enormous  yet  symmetrical   proportions,  and   the  muscular 
dovolopmont  which  enables  it  to  excel  in  velocity  all  its  congeners,  while  its  whole 
bearing  indicates  its  superiority  to  all  the  other  Cetaceans.     It  glides  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  ocean,  occasionally  displaying  its  entire  length.     Wiien  it  respires,  the 
volume   of  its  vaporous   breath  ascends  to  a  height  which  reveals  at  once,  to'  the 
observer,    the    presence  of  that   leviathan    of  tiio    deep,   whose    capture    baflles    the 
practical   skill  of  the  most  experienced  whalers.     When  "rounding"  to  descend   to 
the  depths  below,   it  throws  its   ponderous    flukes    high  above    the    waves,    with    u 
swoop  that  is  well  in  keeping  with  its  matcliless  strength  and  vigor. 

♦"Blasted"  is  a  whaler's  term  for  boiug  much  swollen. 

kUusK  MAiniug.  — 10, 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE    SPERM    WHALE. 

Phtseteii   UAcnocEPHALtrs,    Linn.     (Plate   xiv.'> 


This,  the  largest  of  the  toothed  Cetaceans,  is  known  to  English  and  American 
whalemen  as  the  Sperm  Whale,  to  the  Germans  as  the  Pottfisch,  and  to  the  French 
as  the  Cachalot.  It  widely  differs  from  all  others  of  its  order,  botli  in  figure  and 
habits.  The  fully  matured  animal  equals,  if  it  does  not  exceed,  the  Bowhead,  or 
Great  Polar  Whale,  in  magnitude  and  in  commercial  value.  The  adult  female,  how- 
ever, is  only  about  one- third  or  one-fourth  the  size  of  the  largest  male.  She  is 
likewise  more  slender  in  form,  and  lias  an  effeminate  appearance.  The  time  of  gesta- 
tion is  supposed  to  be  ten  months,  and  she  seldom  produces  more  than  one  young  at 
a  birth — never  more  than  two — and  these  are  brought  forth  at  any  time  or  place 
that  nature  may  demand.  The  now -born  cub  is  about  one -fourth  the  length  of  the 
mother.  It  obtains  its  nourishment  from  two  teats,  situated  one  on  each  side  of  the 
vaginal  opening.  In  giving  suck,  it  is  said  the  female  reclines  on  her  side,  when 
the  calf  seizes  the  teat  in  the  corner  of  its  mouth,  thereby  giving  the  milk -food 
immediate  passage  to  its  throat.  The  length  of  time  that  the  youug  follow  the 
dam  is  not  known. 

The  largest  males  measure  from  eighty  to  eighty -four  feet.  The  ponderous  head 
is  nearly  one -third  of  the  whole  bulk  of  the  animal,  and  over  one  quarter  of  its 
length.  The  opening  of  the  mouth  is  about  five -sixths  the  length  of  the  Iioad  ;  the 
lower  jaw,  from  the  expansion  of  the  condyles,  contracts  abruptly  to  a  narrow  sym- 
physis, and  is  studded  on  each  side  with  twenty -two  or  twenty -four  strong,  sharp, 
and  conical  teetii,  fitting  to  the  furrow,  or  cavity,  in  the  upper  jaw,  which  is  desti- 
tute of,  or  contains  only  rudimentary  teeth.  The  tongue,  which  is  usually  of  a 
whit  I  color,  "is  not  capable  of  much  protrusion."  The  throat,  liowever,  is  largo, 
and  ^>aid  to  be  capacious  enough  to  receive  tiio  body  of  a  man.  The  eyes  are 
placcu   .    little  above  and   behind  the  angle   of  the   mouth.      A  few  inches   behind 

the  eyes  are  the  openings  of  the  ears,  which  are  not  over  one- fourth  of  an  inch  in 

n4i 


THE   SPERM    WHALE.  75 

diameter.  Above,  and  at  the  junction  of  the  head  with  the  body  proper,  is  a  swell 
called  the  "bunch  of  the  neck."  About  midway  between  this  protuberance  and 
the  caudal  fin,  is  another  and  larger  bunch,  called  the  "hump;"  then  follows  a 
succession  of  smaller  processes  along  the  "small,"  toward  the  posterior  extremity, 
which  is  termed  the  "ridge."  The  pectorals,  or  side-fins,  are  placed  a  little  behind 
and  below  the  eyes,  and  in  size  rarely  exceed  six  feet  in  length  and  three  feet  in 
width.  Tiie  caudal  fin  is  about  six  feet  in  breadth,  and  measures  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  between  the  extremities,  or  about  one -sixth  the  length  of  the  whole  animal. 
Cnlike  the  baleen  whales,  the  Cachalot  has  but  one  spiracle,  or  spout- hole,  which  is 
placed  near  the  anterior  and  upper  extremity  of  the  head,  a  little  upon  the  left 
side ;  its  external  form  is  nearly  like  the  letter  S.  This  fissure  in  the  adult  is  ten 
or  twelve  inches  in  length.  The  color  of  the  Rperm  Whale  is  generally  black,  or 
blackish -brown  above;  a  little  lighter  upon  the  sides  and  below,  except  on  tiie 
breast,  whore  it  becomes  a  silvery  gray.  Some  examples,  however,  are  piebald. 
The  oldest  males  are  frequently  well-marked  with  gray  about  the  nose,  or  upper 
portion  of  the  head,  and  when  this  is  indicated,  they  are  called  "gray -headed." 

In  the  young  Sperm  Wiialos,  as  in  the  young  of  all  Cetaceans,  tiie  black- 
skin,  or  epidermis,  is  much  heavier  than  in  the  adults,  it  being  half  an  inch  in 
tliicknoss,  or  thereabouts,  while  it  does  not  exceed  a  quarter  of  an  inch  on  the  old 
whale.  As  age  advances,  tiie  skin  becomes  more  furrowed.  Beneath  the  black- 
skin  lies  the  rich  coating  of  fat,  or  blubbc>r,  whicli  yields  the  valuable  oil  of 
commerce.  The  head  produces  nearly  one -third  of  all  the  oil  obtained.  Xext 
to  and  above  the  bono  of  the  upper  jaw  (wliich  is  termed  the  "coach,"  or 
"sleigh"),  is  a  huge  mass  of  cartilaginous,  elastic,  tougli  fat,  wliich  is  called  the 
"junk."  Above  the  "junk,"  on  the  right  side  of  the  head,  is  a  large  cavity,  or 
sack,  termed  the  "case,"  which  contains  oil  in  its  naturally  fluid  state,  together  with 
the  granulated  substance  known  as  "spermaceti."  From  tliis  capacious  hidden 
receptacle,  as  much  as  fifteen  barrels  of  "head -matter"  has  been  obtained.  The 
"ambergris,"  which  is  so  iiiglily  prized,  is  nothing  more  than  the  retained  anal 
concretion  of  a  diseased  whale.  On  the  left  side  of  the  cranium,  above  the  "junk," 
is  the  breathing- passage,  or  nostril,  of  the  whale.  This,  with  the  "case,"  is  pro- 
tected  by  a  thick,  tough,  elastic  substance  called  the  "head-skin,"  which  is  proof 
against  the  harpoon. 

We  now  come  to  the  general  habits  of  this  gigantic  animal,  relative  to  its 
movements  in  the  vast  oceans  of  the  globe.  Among  the  whole  order  of  Cetaceans, 
(here  is  no  other  which  respires  with  the  same  regularity  as  the  Cachahit.  When 
emerging  to  the  surface,  the  first  portion  of  the  animal  seen  is  the   region  of  the 


76  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

hump ;  then  it  niises  its  head,  and  respires  slowly  for  the  space  of  about  three 
seconds,  sending  forth,  diagonally,  a  volume  of  whitisli  vapor,  like  an  escape  of 
steam;  this  is  called  the  "spout,"  which,  in  ordinary  weather,  may  be  seen  from 
the  mast-head  at  a  distance  of  three  to  five  miles.  In  respiring  at  its  leisure,  the 
animal  sometimes  mukes  no  headway  through  the  water ;  at  other  times  it  moves 
quietly  along  at  the  rate  of  about  two  or  three  miles  an  hour;  or,  if  "making  a 
passage"  from  one  feeding -ground  to  another,  it  may  accelerate  its  velocity.  When 
in  progressive  motion  (after  "blowing"),  hardly  an  instant  is  required  for  inspira- 
tion, when  the  animal  dips  its  head  a  little,  and  momentarily  disappears ;  then  it 
rises  again  to  blow,  as  before,  each  respiration  being  made  with  great  regularity. 
The  number  of  its  spoutings,  when  in  a  state  of  quietude,  depends  on  the  size  of 
the  animal :  varying  in  the  adult  females  and  the  younger  of  both  sexes  from  the 
oldest  and  largest  males.  The  same  may  bo  said  as  to  the  period  of  time  it  remains 
upon  or  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ocean.  With  the  largest  bulls,  the  time  occu- 
pied in  performing  one  expiration  and  one  inspiration  is  from  ten  to  twelve  seconds, 
and  the  animal  will  generally  blow  from  sixty  to  seventy -five  times  at  a  "rising," 
remaining  upon  the  surface  of  the  sea  about  twelve  minutes.  As  soon  as  "his 
spoutings  are  out,"  he  pitches  head-foremost  downward;  then  "rounding  out,"  turns 
his  flukes  high  in  the  air,  and,  when  gaining  nearly  a  perpendicular  attitude,  de- 
scends to  a  great  depth,  and  there  remains  from  fifty  minutes  to  an  hour  and  a 
quarter. 

While  on  a  cruise  in  the  bark  Rio  Grande  around  the  Galapagos  Islands,  in 
1853,  a  large  Cachalot  was  captured,  which  yielded  eighty -five  barrels  of  oil.  This 
animal  was  pursued  from  eleven  o'clock  a.m.  to  four  p.m.,  during  which  time  it 
spouted,  or  "blowed,"  very  regularly,  fifty-five  times  at  each  "rising"  while  on  the 
surface,  and  when  he  descended  was  not  visible  again  for  fifty -five  minutes.  All 
this  time  ho  was  going  a  direct  course  at  the  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour.  The 
smaller  and  younger  whales,  however,  are  not  so  regular  in  their  time  of  remaining 
upon  or  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  and,  as  before  mentioned,  they  spout  a 
less  number  of  times.  They  generally  continue  above  the  water  one -fourth  or  one- 
fifth  of  the  time  consumed  by  the  others,  making  thirty  or  forty  spouts  while  up,  and 
remaining  under  water  twenty  to  thirty  minutes.  But  when  the  Cachalot  becomes 
alarmed,  or  is  sporting  in  the  ocean,  its  actions  are  widely  different.  If  frightened, 
it  has  the  faculty  of  instantly  sinking,  although  nearly  in  a  horizontal  attitude  (as 
the  sailors  say,  "he  can  let  go  and  go  down  in  a  jiffy").  When  merely  startled, 
it  will  frequently  assume  a  perpendicular  position,  with  the  greater  portion  of  its 
head  above  water,  to  look  and  listen ;  or,  when  lying  on  the  surface,  it  will  sweep 


-.  .ijiiiHiv  iww,»ii«ua^wwivii,,^i.iLqip.gj  II  i«j|jii||ippppainp^|P!pi^nnaippqB^ 


'-■^_J . 


C.  /■<. Sea mivorj    o  e •  . 


SFER\:  \' 


Plate   XC 


^M^ 


Brit.t:n.A  Rev  I't'r. 


KYSITEH  IIACROCEFHAI.US  LINN) 


.    THE    SPERM    WUALE.  77 

around  from  side  to  side  with  its  flukes,  to  ascertain  whether  there  is  any  object 
within  reach.  At  otlier  times,  wlien  at  play,  it  will  elevate  its  flukes  high  in  the 
air,  then  strike  them  down  with  great  force,  which  raises  the  water  into  spray 
and  foam  about  it;  this  is  termed  "lobtailing."  Oftentimes  it  descends  a  few 
fathoms  beneath  the  waves ;  then,  giving  a  powerful  shoot  nearly  out  of  the  water 
at  an  angle  of  forty -five  degrees  or  less,  falls  on  its  side,  or  leaps  bodily  out  in  a 
semi -lateral  attitude,  coming  down  with  a  heavy  splash,  producing  a  pyramid  of 
foam  which  may  be  seen  from  the  mast-head,  on  a  clear  day,  at  least  ten  miles, 
and  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  whaler  in  searching  for  his  prey.  These  singular 
antics  of  the  Sperm  Whale  arc  said  to  be  performed  in  order  to  rid  itself  of  a 
troublesome  parasite,  known  among  the  whale -fishers  by  the  name  of  "Suckfish;" 
but  the  animal  is  seldom  infested  with  the  parasitic  Crustacea  which  are  indigenous 
to  the  rorquals  and  Right  Whales. 

M;i;.y  have  the  impression  that  the  Sperm  Wiiale  is  found  but  rarely  out  of 
the  limits  of  tropical  or  temperate  waters,  but  we  know  that  the  largest  Cacha- 
lots have  often  been  taken  as  far  south  as  5G*  of  latitude,  both  in  the  Pacific 
and  Atlantic,  and  as  far  north  in  the  Pacific  as  Cape  Ommany,  which  is  in  latitude 
56'  12'. 

We  may  further  add,  that  it  is  one  of  the  few  species  of  the  larger  Cetaceans 
which  inhabit  every  ocean  not  bound  with  icy  fetters  during  the  rigors  of  winter, 
and  although  great  numbers  are  found  in  the  cold  latitudes,  they  also  delight  to 
bask  in  the  equatorial  waters  under  a  tropical  sun.*  It  is  true,  however,  that  but 
few  arc  met  with  in  the  far  northern  limits  of  the  Atlantic  or  the  Pacific,  compared 
with  the  number  Avhich  inhabit  the  great  range  of  the  southern  seas.  This,  how- 
ever, may  be  easily  accounted  for,  as  there  is  no  northern  thoroughfare  by  which 
these  whales  of  passage  can  migrate  to  or  from  the  Atlantic  or  Pacific,  while  at 
the  south  they  are  continually  passing  to  and  fro  from  ocean  to  ocean  throughout 
the  year. 

The  Cachalots  arc  gregarious,  and  they  are  often  seen  in  schools  numbering 
from  fifteen  or  twenty  up  to  hundreds.  The  oldest  and  largest  males,  however,  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  year  roam  alone ;   yet  there  is  no  lack  of  instances  where 

*  We  are  aware  that  eminent  naturalists  have  to  substantiate,  as   far  as  our   obsen'ations  go, 

averred   that  there   are    several   species   of    the  what  that  excellent  and  practical  observer,  Beale, 

Sperm  Whale,  on  the  ground  of  their  geograph-  has  maintained  :  that  there  is  but  one  species  of 

ical  distribution;  ond  it  is  not  within  our  prov-  Sperm  Whale  "in  the  ocean  roving,"  and  as  far 

ince,  nor  is  it  our  intention,  to  enter  into  any  as  any  variety  is  A-isible,  it  exists  in  every  zone 

discussion  relative  to  the  question,  further  than  end  hemisphere. 


78  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    TUB    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

these  monsters  havo  been  found  in  herds  by  themselves ;  but  the  usual  assemblage 
is  made  up  of  males  and  females — the  latter  with  their  j'oung.  At  such  times  two 
or  three  large  bulls  are  in  attendance,  whicli  lead  the  van.  The  female  is  quite 
solicitous  for  her  playful  offspring,  and  when  pursued,  the  mother  may  be  seen 
assisting  it  to  escape  by  partially  supporting  it  on  one  of  her  pectorals.  The 
females  likewise  manifest  much  sympathy  for  each  other,  for  when  one  of  their 
number  is  attacked  by  the  boats,  they  all  "bring  "o,"  and  remain,  usually  for  some 
time,  with  their  dying  companion  ;  by  this  means  a  number  of  whales  are  often 
captured  from  the  same  school.  The  young  bulls  periodically  go  in  largo  herds  ; 
but,  unlike  the  females,  if  one  of  their  band  is  harpooned,  its  cowardly  associates 
make  off  in  great  trepidation.  When  individually  attacked,  however,  it  makes  a 
desperate  struggle  for  life,  and  often  escapes  after  a  hard  contest.  Nevertheless,  it 
is  not  an  unusual  occurrence  for  the  oldest  males  to  bo  taken  with  but  little  effort 
on  tiio  part  of  the  whaler.  After  being  struck,  the  animal  will  oftentimes  lie  for  a 
few  moments  on  the  water  as  if  paralyzed,  which  affords  the  active  man  of  the 
lance  opportunity  to  dart  his  weapon  effectually,  and  complete  the  capture.  It 
is  said  that  the  Cachalots  are  endowed  with  the  faculty  of  communicating  with  each 
other  in  times  of  danger,  when  miles  (and  some  observers  say  leagues)  distant. 
If  this  be  true,  the  mode  of  communication  rests  instinctively  within  their  own 
contracted  brains. 

It  has  been  the  general  belief  that  the  Sperm  Whale  is  excessively  timid  ;  but, 
if  this  is  its  general  character,  there  are  many  exceptions  among  the  larger  males, 
for  when  attackeil,  they  have  in  repeated  instances  turned  upon  their  pursuers,  in 
the  most  defiant  manner,  and  their  own  disfigured  jaws — which  are  their  principal 
weapons  of  defense — prove  that  they  either  engage  in  desperate  contentions  with 
their  kind,  or  with  some  unknown  leviathan  inhabiting  the  deep.  Moreovei,  it  is, 
we  believe,  a  well-established  fivct,  that  ships  have  been  sunk  by  the  deliberate 
assaults  of  vicious,  gray -headed,  old  Cachalots.* 

*  Tho  aec"unta  of  tho  destruction  of  tbo  Amori-  creature  gave  the  vessel  sucb  a  shock,  as  ho  camo 

can  HhipH  Esxex  aud  Ann  Alcjeaudrr  liaving  bcou  iu  collision,  as  to  sprin'?  n  Hcvious  leak.     Then 

published    in   various   works   ijertaiuiug    to    tho  ho  wcut  down  aud   ro-appearod  a  ship's  lougtU 

whalo- fishery,    wo   will  only  briefly   no.o   them  or  two  oiT,  lashing  tho  water  into  foam.     After 

hero.     Tho   Essex  was   destroyed   in    tho    South  going  a  distance  of  about  ono- fourth  of  a  niilo, 

Pacific  by  an  infuriated  whalo,  in  tho  year  1820,  and  recovering  from  tho  concussion,  ho  returned 

under  tho  following  circumstances.     The  auimal  with  great  velocity,  aud,  striking  tho  ship's  bow, 

was  scon  ahead  approaching  tho  ship  at  tho  rate  stavrd  it  iu,  which  caused  tho  vessel  to  sink  ten 

of  about  three  miles  an  hour,  and  tho  ship  run-  miuutos  after.     Tho  Ann  Akxandcr  was  sunk  ))y 

niiijj  at  about  the  sauio  speed,  when  tho  hugo  a  Sperm  Whalo  ou  tho  coast  of  Peru,  in  1851, 


THE   S PER 31    WHALE. 


n 


It  is  the  opinion  of  many  experienced  and  observing  whalemen — with  whom 
we  concur — that  the  Sperm  Whale  has  a  higher  organization  than  any  other  species 
of  Cetacea.  Its  massive  form  is  composed  of  bone,  flesh,  and  sinew,  which  lias  a 
Pner  texture  than  that  of  the  rorqual  or  the  mysticetus.  The  latter  subsists  on 
minute  Crustacea  and  small  fishes,  skimmed  as  it  were  from  the  surface  of  the  seas 
and  inland  waters.  The  mouth  of  the  Cachalot  is  armed  with  teeth  of  ivory,  Enoly 
set,  for  the  purpose  of  prehension,  and  the  animal  is  endowed  with  the  power  of 
descending  to  the  remote  caverns  of  the  ocean  in  search  of  its  prey,  and  remaining 
there  a  length  of  time  unequaled  by  any  of  its  congeners.  The  principal  food  of 
the  Sperm  Whale  is  familiarly  named  by  the  whalers  "squid  ;"  which  inchides 
one  or  more  species  of  cuttle-fishes  (cephalopods).  The  animal's  manner  of 
pursuing  its  prey  is  not  definitely  known  ;  but  several  high  authorities  zivv.r.- 
tain,  that  after  descending  to  the  desired  depth  it  drops  its  lower  jaw  nearly  to 
a  right  angle  with  the  body,  thereby  exhibiting  its  polished  white  teeth,  which 
attract  within  its  reach  the  swinniiing  food,  while  the  creature  moves  along  through 
the  ocean's  depths ;   the  moment  its  prey  comes  in  contact  with  the  expanded  jaw. 


under  like  circumstances  ^o  thope  of  the  EsisJr. 
In  1807,  the  ship  Uino)i,  of  Nantucket,  was 
wrecked  "by  striking,"  says  the  narrator,  "on  a 
Sperm  Whalj."  It  was  in  the  night,  and  the 
» question  is,  whothcr  the  ship  struck  the  animal 
accidentally,  or  whether  the  whale  made  an 
attack,  r  Other  disasters  to  vessels  might,  be 
cited,  which  were  occasioned  l>y  the  attack  of, 
or  by  coming  in  collision  with,  the  colossal 
Cachalot.  The  ferocit-  of  many  old  male  Sperm 
Whales  has  been  fully  demonstrated  by  their 
attii'L..!  on  boats,  aid  to  diKtunguish  them  from 
other  whales  they  are  oiK'U  called  "eating 
whales."  According  to  the  author  of  the  Arctic 
Whaleman,  an  instance  occurred  with  the  boats 
of  ihe  ship  Cilitcn,  upon  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  in 
the  year  1851,  where,  after  the  whale  had  been 
struck,  lanced,  ond  while  spouting  blood,  he  made 
an  attack  and  demolished  one  boat,  after  which 
he  gave  chase  to  another;  but  the  fifth  boat, 
having  been  dispatched  from  thp  ship  to  the  res- 
cue, came  up  just  in  time  to  divert  th<)  animars 
attention,  when  ho  turned  upon  it.  By  the  dex- 
terous management  of  the  captain,  who  had  como 


in  this  relief  boat,  the  whale  was  foiled  in  his 
attempt  to  destroy  it.  In  the  midst  of  the  fray, 
the  bleeding  animal  caught  sight  of  the  ship, 
which  was  approaching  the  boats  under  flowing 
sails.  Instantly  the  enraged  animal  made  for 
the  vessel;  while  those  on  board,  being  advised 
of  the  fact,  put  the  ciuft  before  the  wind  to 
avoid  him.  On  the  whule  came ;  but,  owing  to 
the  increased  speed  of  th-)  ship,  he  shot  past 
the  stern  a  few  feet,  and  soon  after  went  into 
his  "flurry,"  and  "turned  up,"  when  he  was 
taken  to  the  vessel,  "cut  in,"  and  "tried  out," 
yielding  seventy -five  barrels  of  oil.  Another 
instance,  somewhat  similar,  occurred  to  the  boats 
of  the  bark  Athalia.  In  this  case,  however,  the 
whale,  after  staving  a  boat,  not  being  content 
with  the  manner  in  which  he  destroyed  it, 
went  deliberately  at  the  renmins  and  chewed 
them  into  fine  pieces.  These  instances  are 
only  mentioned  as  among  scores  of  other  simi- 
lar cases  \  ''lich  might  bo  given.  And  wo  have 
no  doubt  but  that  many  vessels  which  have 
sailed  from  port,  and  never  been  heard  of  after, 
have  suffered  wreck  through  Cachalots. 


80 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH  WESTERN    COAST. 


it  is  instantly  crushed,  aid  a  portion  or  all  is  swallowed.  This  hypothesis  of  the 
mode  in  which  the  animal  feeds  may  be  correct.  As  to  the  nature  of  its  food 
there  is  no  question,  ioc  it  is  well  known  that  the  ceplialopods  are  its  main 
dependence;  yet  occasionally  the  codfish,  albicoro,  and  bouito,  are  laid  under  con- 
tribution.*    But  the  true  aod  natural  way  in  which  this  great  rover  of  the  hidden 


♦Relative  to  the  food  of  the  Sperm  Whale, 
Vie  quote  the  following  from  Beale's  interesting 
account  of  the  Sepia  octopus: 

NATUltE   OF   THE    SPERM   WHALE's   FOOD. 

The  Sej)ia  octopus,  or  "sea  squid,"  as  it  is 
termed  by  whalers,  sometimes  reaches  an  enor- 
mous size.  Mr.  Henrj'  Baker,  F.  R.  S.,  in  the 
Philosophical  Transactions  for  1758,  p.  777,  after 
having  given  an  interesting  description  of  a 
specimen,  sent  to  him  for  examination  by  the 
Earl  of  Macclesfield,  states  that  it  can,  by  spread- 
ing its  arms  abroad  like  a  net,  so  fetter  and 
entangle  the  prey  they  inclose,  when  they  are 
drawn  together,  as  to  render  it  incapable  of  ex- 
erting its  strength ;  for,  however  feeble  these 
branches  or  arms  may  Li  t;ingly,  their  power 
united  becomes  surprising ;  and  we  are  assured 
■ — Nature  is  so  kind  to  these  animals— that  if  in 
their  struggles  any  of  their  arms  are  broken  off, 
after  some  time  they  v/ill  grow  again,  of  which 
a  specimen  at  the  British  Museum  is  an  un- 
doubted proof,  for  a  little  new  arm  is  there  seen 
sprouting  forth  in  the  room  of  a  large  one  which 
had  becu  lost.  "It  is  evident,"  ho  continues, 
"from  what  has  been  said,  that  the  sea  polypus, 
or  octopus,  must  bo  terrible  to  the  'nhabitanta 
of  the  waters,  in  projiortion  to  its  tize  ( Pliny 
mentions  one,  whose  arms  were  thirty  feet  in 
length),  fo.'  t,he  close  embraces  of  its  arms  and 
adhesion  of  its  suckers  must  render  the  efl'ovts  of 
its  prey  inefl'ectual,  either  for  escape  or  resist- 
ance, unless  it  be  endowed  with  an  cxtraordi- 
ary  degree  of  strength."  Of  the  smaller  genera 
of  these  animals,  thj  reader  will  find  some  in- 
teresting details,  by  referring  to  the  appendix  to 
Turhci/'s  Voyagi:  to  the.  Comjo,  vol.  iii.  There  is 
also  an  account  of  a  newly  discovered  cepha- 
lopod,  in  the  appendix  to  Sir  J.  Ross'  Voi/aije  to 
the  Antarctic  Hcyions.  A  gigantic  c;ephalopod  was 
discovered  by  Drs.  Bank  and  Holander,  in  Capt. 
Cook's  first  voyage,  floating  dead  upon  the  sea, 
surrounded  by  birds,   who  were  feeding  on  its 


remains.  From  the  parts  of  this  specimen  which 
arc  still  preserved  in  the  Hunteriau  Collection, 
and  which  have  always  strongly  excited  the  at- 
tention of  naturalists,  it  must  have  measured  at 
least  six  feet  from  the  end  of  t'le  tail  to  the 
end  of  the  tentacles.  But  this  last  we  must 
imagine  a  mere  pigmy,  when  we  consider  the 
enormous  dimensions  of  the  one  spoken  of  by 
Dr.  Schewediawer,  in  the  Philosophical  Transac- 
tions, vol.  Ixxiii,  p.  220,  whose  tentaculum,  or 
limb,  measured  twenty-B0\en  feet  in  length;  but 
let  the  doctor  speak  for  himself.  "One  of  the 
gentlemen,"  says  he,  "who  was  so  kind  as  to 
communicate  to  me  his  observations  on  this  sub- 
ject (ambergris),  also,  ten  years  ago,  hooked  a 
Spermaceti  Whale  that  had  in  its  mouth  a  ten- 
taculum of  the  Sepia  octopoda  nearly  twenty- 
seven  feet  long  1  This  did  not  appear  its  whole 
length,  for  one  end  was  corroded  by  digestion, 
so  that  ill  its  natural  state  it  may  have  been  a 
great  deal  longer.  When  we  consider,"  says  the 
Doctor,  "the  enormous  bulk  of  the  tentaculum 
here  spoken  of,  wo  shall  cease  to  wonder  at  the 
common  saying  of  the  fishermen,  that  the  cut- 
tle-fish is  tl"i  largest  fish  of  the  ocean."  In 
Todd's  Cycloixvdia  of  Analomij,  p.  529,  treating 
of  Ccphdlopda,  in  an  admirable  paper  by  Mr. 
Owen,  it  states,  that  "the  natives  of  the  Poly- 
nesian Islands,  who  dive  for  shell -fish,  have  a 
well-foundud  dread  and  abhorrence  of  these 
formidable  cephalopods,  and  one  can  not  feel 
suiijrised  thiit  their  fears  should  have  perhaps 
exaggomted  their  dimensions  and  destructive  at- 
tributes.'' The  same  learned  writer,  after  having 
beautifully  doscril)ed  another  animal  of  the  same 
order,  observes:  "Let  the  reader  picture  to  hira- 
Bolf  the  projecting  margin  of  the  horny  hook  de- 
veloped into  a  long- curved,  sharp  -  pointed  claw, 
and  these  weaponn  clustered  at  the  expanded 
terminations  of  iho  tentacles  and  arranged  in  a 
double  alternate  series,  along  the  whole  internal 
surface  of  the  eight  muscular  feet,  and  ho  will 
have  some  idea  of  the  formidable  nature  of  the 


^fw^ 


M. 


iK®/'  J- '' 


if 


•  i  ■(. 


■^^* 


n 


4^. 


r 


^ 


MJhJXi:   iJj.r^f.ui: 


TilK   xniiTfi    !  j,^  I  .r.y    co.  si: 


''•!'":'"""^-'    '.....;..„)•.   th..    .....,.-3,.   .dl,k..,.:-..    ...     ,.„,         ,,,   S:,;,.    nad.,-.:,. 


ISe      ^J      ■..!/.        111.  i',     »'      ,1.        -l;       '       ,,,:  I., 


*   ''■     ■'•'     '  i^^    -fl    M,  >.,,  %    -'x  ■■.-,!    Ih..    ,tt> 

'        ■'■'--  '■    ;  ■».%!•'    .•  '  :ri:rc.l    ;it 


■I    .■■     ■■*  (. 


.-t  ■   ■       ■        -At 


'.,.:..:    Ivv..,,.,    ;un-. -.■    -i,,.:     .,      „:,       '      .  "-'-■'        ■■»■-•        ■•  -v^-ii     ......ly    ,«,^.,tv- 


•I-  i'v'' 


i. 


■  i;ii 


'I    I. 


I'l     ). 


■  AY., 

.,,.,,,  "I    ■'■\  a 

'!>•      l/;.n.i,    :,!„..,.„,    .,  ,  ,,„.,,.,       ,,        '  .  ^"'    -"■ 

.A..-,.   )n::.    ,v        .  ,'   ■  '         "V  -.""     '      '       •' '^^  ^-^lu." 

•       I      •■''-         '    •    "         ''"!'      >:•  "  U)    WDluliT     ,,t    ' 

■   •■  Ifc      I  1.1.'     i.il' 

*■   ''      '       i   ' :     '-  /'.■  .■.   ''    '■  »f  .'  ■ 

ri'  !    '    .J    :-     !  )    i^-'    Mi-..    ;   ''liij, 

■■  '      ■A-h..,-,- .:.    h»-i,m   v.tr.i    t-Lit^v    (..,  .    iJ. 

■■     'M  Ru-.-iifi-s  ruu:v  v,,,„i,.,.  (!•     i'(V\.i,  (>  ,)f  i-ii.i.i  .l.].. 

i'  •■  lf.'tli(l,l,   «>itl,i.r    J'.i     i-:.fiij.      or    J  ■:!-!(.  .n:-.!:-.,i 

•'•-     It    !>f    |.ati..\v,.a     U..I)    ii.i    .•■|','|.  i-'i-  J-.-r::'. 

M(<ijii;-t5i-"     Of   'l:     (-1!  ,'    T  'i.,'.|.^',;  1, •'.;.. «'■ 

"■■'''■"         <''^-    ••>'"■)->     ^-H.     ,;u..        .,;       a,  .t.,J;'i.V; 


■   '..1        \       ■,'! 


i 


'  <  r  '■•  rriir     r. .  t! 


"!i    l-j'.w     1.     wh  J   .,.1     <  .,    ,.'  oil    ;:>:  , 

I      'U«l''       .,» 
iflul-   1:!.-     'U' 

^.   of   I;,,.    -  .nu 


I'lUI 


"       , '-'       ■'  ■■■•'•■    -'••■■■"    "  '    •■■■I     ■■       ^    i-'.- 


•'ii.niiul  A    <         ,■  '^ 


'■     '     ','  '  '■  .    '.    H  ;i,       .ri-;  . 
'*•■»    '  •  ■    •■r    ".o    't»      )m  .„ 


■I  ..t.. 


'.'  »|l-l.OII.;(,',l  .;;,..\v, 

'  ■  ■    .'II    l!)"   '  ■  jH'.'iiifid 
'■  ■   in  •.!  Ill I'lUt;; I'll    II  i, 

"•'      (ll'l     lVi:,,io     llilflllll 


Jti.i 


.'V;  '-IS'  !.  (.i,  a>i(l  iii:   ivili 


^1 

r-* 


Q 
o 
o 

W 
o 


Oh 


t-'v 


:(.. 


NnjfM     .Hi    .,iVJiLWUj.BVil.MLiM!IWiP^^^^«HHPJIVHIWIVill>«Ul^f1««aRiPBpVP^9)0^ 


THE   SPERM    WHALE. 


81 


depths  seeks  and  devours  its  animal  food,  is  still  tinged  with  mystery.  In  past 
years  it  was  commonly  believed  that  the  Cachalot  s  home  was  in  the  fathomless 
depths  of  the  ocean,  and  that  only  a  few  stragglers  were  occasionally  met  with 
near  coast  waters  of  moderate  depth.  But  we  find  abundant  proof,  and  from  our 
own  observations,  too,  that  they  are  met  with  and  have  been  captured  in  waters 


carniverouB  Onychoteuthis."  This  species  of  ceph- 
alopod  is  thus  armed  with  those  kind  of  teeth 
at  the  termination  of  the  tentacles,  ju  order 
to  sec.  the  "agile,  slippery,  and  mucus-clad 
fishes"  on  which  it  preys.  And  there  is  an  in- 
stance recorded  in  Sir  Grenville  Temple's  Excur- 
sions in  the  Mediterranean,  by  which  we  perceive 
that  these  terrible  creatures  sometimes  prey  upon 
men!  "In  those  shallow  waters,"  saj's  Sir  Gren- 
ville, "are  caught  great  quantities  of  fish,  by 
forming  curved  lines  or  palisades  some  way  out 
to  sea  with  palm  branches,  by  which  the  fish 
that  come  up  with  the  high  water  are  detained 
when  it  recedes.  The  homd  jjolypus,  which  is, 
however,  greedily  eaten,  abounds,  and  some  are 
of  enormous  size.  They  prove  at  times  highly 
dangerous  to  bathers.  An  instance  of  this  oc- 
curred two  years  since.  A  Sardinian  captain, 
bathing  at  Jerbeh,  felt  one  of  his  feet  in  the 
grasp  of  one  of  these  animals ;  on  this,  with  his 
other  foot  ho  tried  to  disengage  himself,  but  this 
limb  was  immediately  seized  by  another  of  the 
monster's  arms ;  he  then,  with  his  hands,  en- 
deavored to  free  himself,  but  these,  also,  in  suc- 
cession, were  firmly  grasped  by  the  polypus,  and 
the  poor  man  was  shortly  after  found  drowned, 
with  all  his  limbs  strongly  bound  together  by 
the  arms  and  legs  of  the  fish;  and  it  was  extra- 
ordinaiy,  that  where  this  happened,  the  water 
was  scarcely  four  feet  in  depth!"  Other  species 
of  these  surprising  animals,  as  the  Calamarics, 
or  "flying  squid,"  as  they  are  termed  by  the 
whalers,  have  the  power  of  propelling  themselves 
through  the  atmosphere.  "There  is  good  reason 
for  believing,"  says  Mr.  Owen,  "that  some  of 
the  small,  slender -bodied,  subulate  species  of  this 
genus  arc  enabled  to  strike  the  water  with  such 
force  as  to  raise  themselves  above  the  surface, 
and  dart,  like  tho  flying -fish,  for  a  short  dis- 
tance through  tho  air."  I  have  myself  seen, 
veiy  frequently,  while  in  tho  North  and  South 
Pacific,  tens  of  thousands  of  these  animals  dart 
simultaneously  out  of  the  water,  when  i^ursued 

MAniNE  Mamhalh.  —  II. 


Ly  tho  albicore,  or  dolphins,  and  propel  them- 
selves head  first,  in  a  horizontal  clirection,  for 
eighty  or  a  hundred  yards,  assisting  their  pro- 
gression, probably,  by  a  rotatory  or  screwing 
motion  of  their  arms  or  tentacles,  and  which  they 
have  the  power  of  thus  moving  with  a  singular 
velocity.  This  species,  also,  as  well  as  the  large 
Onychoteuthis,  I  am  led  to  believe,  often  serves 
the  Sperm  Whale  with  food.  I  have  seen,  on 
several  occasions,  very  large  limbs  of  the  latter 
species  of  squid  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
ocean,  appearing  as  if  bitten  off  by  some  ani- 
mal— most  probably  by  tho  Sperm  Whale — for 
when  these  remains  have  been  seen,  I  have  al- 
ways looked  most  anxiously  for  these  animals, 
and  have  never  been  disappointed  in  seeing  them 
within  a  few  hours  afterward.  One  day,  being 
on  tho  coast  of  Peru,  off  Paita  Head,  as  it  is 
called,  which  lies  in  about  tho  latitude  of  five 
degrees  south,  I  was  startled  by  seeing  a  remark- 
able-looking  animal  raising  itself  c^uickly  to  the 
surface  of  the  sea  by  means  of  a  number  of  very 
long  flexible  arms,  which  it  threw  about  witli 
great  precision,  in  a  rotatory  or  screwing -like 
motion,  so  that  it  appeared  to  move  itself  through 
the  water  with  the  same  kind  of  action  that  an 
eight -pronged  corkscrew  would  maintain  in  pass- 
ing through  any  penetrable  substance.  This  curi- 
ous animal,  however,  quickly  disappeared  ;  and  it 
was  not  until  I  explained  its  apiJearance  to  the 
captain,  that  I  knew  it  to  be  a  squid.  On  an- 
other occasion,  while  upon  the  Bonin  Islands, 
searching  for  shells  upon  the  rocks,  which  had 
just  been  loft  by  tho  receding  sea-tido,  I  was 
much  astonished  at  seeing  at  my  feet  a  most  ex- 
traordinary looking  animal,  crawling  toward  the 
surf,  which  had  only  just  left  it.  I  had  never 
seen  one  like  it  under  such  circumstances  before; 
it  therefore  appeared  tho  moio  remarkable.  It 
was  creeping  on  its  eight  logs,  which,  from  their 
soft  and  flexible  nature,  bent  considerably  under 
tho  weight  of  its  body,  so  that  it  was  lifted  by 
the  efforts  of  its  tentacula  only,  a  small  distance 


S2  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

Tvhero  the  soundings  wore  not  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms,  and  frequently 
not  over  sixty  or  seventy :  for  example,  off  San  Bartolome  Baj',  coast  of  Califor- 
nia ;  also  about  Point  Abraojos  on  the  same  coast,  and  near  Asuncion  Island,  which 
is  midway  between  the  first  named  points. 

It  has  been  previously  remarked  that  the  elongated  under  jaw  of  the  Sperm 
Whale,  with  its  bristling  teeth,  is  its  chief  arm  of  attack  and  defense,  and  tlie  agile 
manner  in  which   the  animal  uses  it  when   upon   or  near  the  surface  is  quite  sur- 


from  the  rocks.  It  appearetl  much  alarmeil  at 
seeinnf  mo,  and  made  every  effort  to  escape,  while 
I  was  not  much  in  the  humor  to  endeavor  to 
capture  so  ugly  a  customer,  whose  .ippearance 
excited  a  feeling  of  disgust,  not  unmixed  with 
fear.  I,  however,  endeavored  to  prevent  its  ca- 
reer, by  pressing  on  one  of  its  legs  with  my  foot ; 
but  although  I  made  use  of  considerable  force 
for  that  purpose,  its  strength  was  so  great  that 
it  several  times  quickly  liberated  its  member,  in 
sijite  of  all  the  efforts  I  could  employ  in  this 
way  on  wet  slipperj'  rocks.  I  now  laid  hold  of 
one  of  the  tentacles  with  my  hand,  and  held  it 
fiiTnly,  so  that  the  limb  appeared  as  if  it  would 
be  torn  asunder  by  our  united  strength.  I  soon 
gave  it  n  powerful  jerk,  wishing  to  disengage  it 
from  the  rocks  to  which  it  clung  so  forcibly  by 
its  suckers,  which  it  effectually  resisted ;  but  a 
moment  after,  the  apparently  enraged  animal 
lifted  its  head,  with  its  large  eyes  projecting 
from  the  middle  of  its  body,  and  letting  go  its 
hold  of  the  rocks,  suddenly  sprung  upon  my 
arm,  which  I  had  previously  bared  to  my  shoul- 
der, for  the  purpose  of  thrusting  it  into  holes 
in  the  rocks  to  discover  shells,  and  clung  with 
its  suckers  to  it  with  great  power,  endeavoring 
to  get  its  beak,  which  I  could  now  see  between 
the  roots  of  its  arms,  in  a  position  to  bite.  A 
sensation  of  horror  pervaded  my  whole  frame 
when  I  found  this  monstrous  animal  had  affixed 
itself  so  firmly  upon  my  arm.  Its  cold  slimy 
grasp  was  extremely  sickening,  and  I  immedi- 
ately called  aloud  to  the  .aptain,  who  was  also 
searching  for  shells  at  some  distance,  to  come 
and  release  me  from  my  disgusting  assailant. 
He  quickly  arrived,  and  taking  me  down  to  the 
boat,  during  which  time  I  wan  employed  in 
keeping  the  beak  away  from  my  haiid,  quickly 
released  me  by  destroying  my  tormtntor  with 
the  boat-knife,  when  I  disengaged  it  by  por- 
tions at  a  time.     This  animal  must  have  meas- 


ured across  its  expanded  arms  about  four  feet, 
while  its  body  was  not  larger  than  n  large 
clenched  hand.  It  was  that  species  of  Scjna 
which  is  coiled  by  whalers  'rock  squid.'"  Thus 
are  these  remarkable  creatures,  from  the  differ- 
ent adaptation  of  their  tentacles,  and  slight 
modifications  of  their  bodies,  capable  of  sailing, 
flying,  swimming,  and  creeping  on  shore ;  while 
their  senses,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  elaborate 
mechanism  of  their  organs,  must  possess  corre- 
sponding acuteness  and  perfection.  But  for  the 
description  o£  the  anatomy  of  these  animals,  I 
must  refer  the  reader  to  Mr.  Owen's  masterly 
paper  on  that  subject,  in  Todd's  Cyclopiedia  of 
Analpmij,  above  quoted. 

Having  thus  quoted  from  Doctor  Beale  on 
the  nature  of  the  Sperm  Whale's  food,  we  will 
add  another  quotation,  relative  to  ambergris; 

Though  ambergris,  even  during  the  sixteenth 
centuiy,  appeared  to  bo  much  valued  as  a  mer- 
cantile commoditj'  by  the  English,  it  is  curious 
we  knew  nothing  of  its  source,  and  very  little 
of  the  use  which  was  made  of  it  in  other  coun- 
tries. In  the  year  1G72,  wo  find  the  Honorable 
Robert  Boyle  claiming  the  honor  of  having  dis- 
covered its  source,  from  a  manuscript  which  was 
found  on  board  a  Dutch  East-Indiaman,  which 
had  fallen  into  our  hands  by  the  chance  of  war. 
This  precious  document  stated,  that  "amber- 
greese  is  not  the  scum  or  excrement  of  the 
whale,  but  issues  out  of  the  root  of  a  tree, 
which  tree,  howsoever  it  stands  on  the  land, 
alwaics  shoots  forth  its  roots  towards  the  seo, 
seeking  the  warmth  of  it,  thereby  to  deliver  the 
fattest  gum  that  comes  ■>\it  of  it,  which  tree 
otherwise  by  its  copious  fatness  might  be  burnt 
and  destroyed :  wherever  that  fat  gum  is  shot  into 
the  sea,  it  is  so  tough  that  it  is  not  easily 
broken  from  the  root,  unless  its  own  weight  and 


THE    SPERM    WHALE. 


83 


prising.  It  opens  and  shuts  its  mouth,  if  need  be,  in  a  twinkling,  or  it  throws  the 
lower  jaw  down  to  nearly  a  right  angle  with  its  body,  or  sways  it  from  side  to  side 
at  an  astonishing  angle,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  distance  between  the 
condyles  at  their  junction  with  the  animal's  head.  "When  the  creature  essays  to 
grasp  a  large  object  on  the  water,  it  instantly  rolls  over  to  bite  ;  but  docs  it  necessa- 
rily follow  that  the  same  attitude  must  be  maintained  when  obtaining  its  food  in  the 
abyss  beneath?      Or  is   it  impossible  that  this  protruding  jaw  of  massive  bone  and 


I: 


the  working  of  the  -warm  sea  cloth  it,  and  so  it 
floats  on  tho  sea;  there  was  found  by  a  souldier 
seven -eighths  of  a  pound,  and  by  the  chief  two 
pieces,  weighing  five  pounds.  If  you  plant  the 
trees  where  the  stream  sets  to  the  shore,  then 
the  stream  will  cast  it  up  to  great  advantage ! 
March  1st,  1G72,  in  Batavia."  (Phil.  Trans.,  vol. 
viii,  p.  C133.) 

But  notwithstanding  the  above  statement,  Doc- 
tor Thomas  Brown,  in  his  work  published  a  few 
years  afterward  (1G8G),  in  his  description  of  a 
Sperm  Whale  which  was  thrown  on  the  coast  of 
Norfolk,  states  that  "in  vain  it  was  to  rake  for 
ambergriese  in  the  paunch  of  this  leviatlian,  as 
Greenland  discoverers,  and  attests  of  experience 
dictate,  that  they  sometimes  swallow  great  lumps 
thereof  in  the  sea — insufferable  fetor  denying  that 
iuquirj' ;  ond  yet,  if  as  Paracelsus  cncourageth, 
ordure  makes  the  best  musk,  and  from  tho  most 
feted  substances  may  be  drawn  the  most  odorif- 
erous essences,  all  that  had  not  Vesx^asiau's  uoso 
might  boldly  swear  there  was  a  substance  for 
such  extractions;"  which  proves  that  the  doctor 
still  suspected  that  the  ambergris  was  found  iu 
the  Sperm  Whale,  although  it  was  found  by 
this  animal  floating  in  the  sea,  and  swallowed 
by  it  in  "great  lumps!"  But  it  was  reserved 
for  Doctor  Boylston,  of  Boston,  to  enlighten 
mauldnd  upon  this  important  subject,  nnd  he 
thei'efore  claims  tho  discovery  of  its  source  in 
the  following  manner:  "Tho  most  learned  part 
of  mankind  are  still  at  loss  about  many  things 
even  in  medical  use,  and  jiarticularly  were  so 
in  what  is  called  ambergris,  until  our  whale 
fishermen  of  Nantucket,  in  New  England,  some 
three  or  four  years  past  made  the  discovery. 
Their  account  to  mo  is  this :  Cutting  up  a 
spei-macoti  bull-whale,  they  found,  accidentally, 
in  him,  about  twenty  pounds  weight,  more  or 
less,  of  that  drug;  after  which,  they  and  other 
Buch  fishermen  became  very  curious  in  searching 


all  such  whales  they  killed,  and  it  has  been 
since  found  in  lesser  quantities  in  several  male 
whales  of  that  kind,  and  in  no  other,  and  that 
scarcely  in  one  of  a  hundred  of  them.  They 
add  further,  that  it  is  contained  in  a  cyst  or 
bag,  without  any  inlet  or  outlet  to  it,  and  that 
they  have  sometimes  found  the  bag  empty  and 
yet  entire ;  tho  bag  is  nowhere  to  bo  found  but 
near  the  genital  parts  of  the  fish.  Tho  amber- 
gris is  when  first  taken  out  moist,  and  of  an 
exceedingly  strong  and  offensive  smell."  This 
letter  was  written  to  tho  Royal  Society  in  1724. 
(Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  xxxiii,  j).  193.) 

In  the  same  year,  however,  wo  have  another 
letter  from  America,  written  to  tho  Royal  Society 
by  the  Honorable  Paul  Dudley,  F.  R.  S.,  who, 
lifter  telling  us  that  tho  old  Si^erm  Whales  carry 
their  young  ones  "on  the  flukes  of  their  tails, 
who  with  their  fins  clasp  about  the  small,  and 
hold  themselves  on,"  also  says,  "•one  of  our 
country  doctors  tells  me  that  the  tooth  of  this 
fish  (Sperm  Whale)  shaved  or  powdered,  and 
so  infused  in  liquor,  equals  tho  hartshorn,  and 
has  been  used  in  the  small -pox,  and  given  to 
lying-in  women  in  case  of  sickness,  with  suc- 
cess!—  the  quantity  is  as  much  as  will  lie  uijou 
an  English  shilling."  Farther  on  in  the  same 
letter  ho  states,  "I  meddle  not  hero  with  tho 
jirccioiiti  ambergris  found  in  this  whale,  because 
I  design  to  close  tho  whole  with  that  discovery." 
And  hero  is  his  conclusion:  "But  truth,"  says 
he,  "is  tho  daughter  of  time;  it  ia  now  at 
length  found  out,  that  occuUum  naturw  is  au 
animal  iiroduction,  and  bred  in  the  body  of  tho 
Spermaceti  Whale.  I  doubt  not,"  he  continues, 
"but  in  process  of  time  some  further  particulars 
may  be  procured  with  respect  to  ambergris,  and 
I  shall  bo  proud  to  transmit  them;  in  tho  mean 
time  I  hope  the  Society  will  accept  of  this  first 
essay,  and  allow  my  poor  country  tho  honor  of 
discovering,  or  at  least  ascertaining,  tho  origin 


ivory  is  not  sometimes  employed  to  remove  the  kraken  from  its  slimy  bee 
that  as  it  may,  however,  it  is  our  belief  that  all  Cetaceans  occasionally  re< 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  sea,  or  inland  waters,  as  well  as  rise  to  the  suri 
breathe  and  display  their  various  attitudes.  We  also  regard  the  Cachalot  i 
to  descend  to  a  greater  depth  and  remain  there  a  longer  time  than  any 
whale ;  and  that  it  evinces,  in  its  characteristic  movements  or  evolutions,  a 
riority  over  all  other  cetaceous  animals  that  have  come  under  our  observatio 


and  nature  of  ambergris."  {Phil.  Trans.,  vol. 
xxxiii.) 

In  a  paper  which  was  read  before  the  Royal 
Society  by  Doctor  Schwediawer,  in  1783,  re- 
specting the  medicinal  properties  of  ambergr's, 
he  remarks,  that  "if  we  wish  to  see  any  medi- 
cal efifecta  from  this  substance,  we  must  cer- 
tainly not  expect  them  from  two  or  three 
grains,  but  give  rather  as  many  scniples  of  it 
for  a  dose ;  though  even  then  I  should  not 
expect  much  from  it,  as  I  have  taken  of  pure 
unadulterated  ambergris  in  powder  thirty  grains 
at  once,  without  observing  the  least  sensible 
effect  from  it.  A  sailor,  however,  who  had  the 
curiosity  to  try  the  effects  of  some  recent 
ambergris  upon  himself,  took  half  an  ounce  of 
it  melted  upon  the  fire,  and  found  it  a  good 
purgative,  which  proves  that  it  is  not  quite 
inert."     {mi.  Trans.,  vol.   lx.xii,  p.  22G.) 

In  1791,  the  attention  of  the  government  was 
drawn  to  this  subject,  in  order  to  discover  if  it 
could  be  more  frequently  found.  When  Captain 
Coffin  was  examined  at  the  bar  of  the  House  of 
Commons  on  the  subject,  he  stated  that  he 
had  lately  brought  home  three  hundred  and 
sixty -two  ounces,  troy,  of  this  costly  substance, 
which  he  had  found  in  the  anus  of  a  female 
Sperm  Whale  that  he  had  captured  off  the 
coast  of  Guinea,  and  which  he  stated  was  very 
bony  and  sickly.  At  the  time  he  brought  this 
quantity  to  England,  the  ambergris  was  selling 
for  twenty -five  shillings  an  ounce,  but  he  stated 
he  sold  his  for  nineteen  shillings  and  sixpence 
per  ounce,  to  a  broker,  who  exported  it  to  Tur- 
key, Germany,  and  France,  among  the  natives 
of  which  it  appears  to  have  been  long  celebrated 
for  its  aphrodisiacal  properties.  "The  use  of 
ambergris,"  says  Brande,  "in  Europe  is  now 
nearly  confined  to  perfumery,  though  it  has 
formerly  been  used  in  medicine  by  many  emi- 
nent  physicians.     In  Asia  and  part  of  Africa, 


ambergris  is  not  only  used  as  a  medic 
perfume,  but  considerable  use  is  also  i 
it  in  cooking,  by  adding  it  to  several  d 
a  spice.  A  great  quantity  of  it  is  also  c 
ly  bought  by  the  pilgrims  who  travel  to 
probably  to  offer  it  there,  and  make  ui 
in  fiunigations,  in  the  same  manner  as 
cense  is  used  in  Catholic  countries.  Th 
make  use  of  it  as  au  aphrodisiac.  Our 
ers  add  it  to  scented  pastiles,  candleE 
bottles,  gloves,  and  hair  powder;  and  its 
is  mixed  with  pomatum  for  the  face  and 
either  alone  or  united  with  musk,  the 
smell  is  to  some  persons  extremely  o 
Ambergris  may  be  known  to  be  genuin 
fragrant  scent  when  a  hot  needle  or 
thrust  into  it,  and  its  melting  like  fat  o 
form  consistence,  whereas  the  counter! 
not  yield  such  a  smell,  nor  prove  of  sui 
texture.  One  thing,  however,  is  very 
able,  that  a  resemblance  to  the  smell 
drug,  which  is  the  most  agreeable  of 
perfumes,  should  be  produced  by  a  pre] 
of  one  of  the  most  odious  of  all  sub 
Mr.  Romberg  found  that  a  vessel  in  w 
had  made  a  long  digestion  of  human  fte 
quired  a  very  strong  and  perfect  smell 
bergris,  insomuch  that  any  one  wouL 
thought  that  a  great  quantity  of  ess 
ambergris  had  been  made  in  it;  the  j 
was  so  strong  and  offensive  that  the  ves 
to  be  removed  from  the  laboratory!  (j 
3fanual  of  Chemistry,  p.  594.)  Ambergris 
to  be  nothing  but  the  hardened  faeces 
Spermaceti  Whale,  which  is  pretty  well 
from  its  being  mixed  so  intimately  w 
refuse  of  its  food  (the  squids'  beaks] 
Enderby  has  a  fine  specimen  of  this  sul 
six  or  seven  inches  long,  which  bears  v 
dent  marks  of  having  been  molded  by  tb 
portion  of  the  rectum  of  the  whale. 


iMi 


•   ^-'jl-. 


ii 


^m'\::- 


"ixi-.; 


^ 


4;.;^■  ■   . '  .■ 


./ 


■^ 


,« 


4 


J/'Jy.V'     Ji/AMM.ILS    OF    Tflh'    yo UTJ'    if 'SiriLS"    COAST. 


«!rtt  !^^         iiiiiv    ].  ivvoV' r.  it   i-    ■   tr    !•  ::i.i'   thar    i  '    ' 

}<fi'    hi-   r  lU   (li.sj.liiv  tliJ-ir  vnrioi;^  a''tu.U!?       ^^         ^ 

M    'l"--^'*'  ii'l    U  ♦  ii    gieJit'.'V    .hnitli    ;iiM    r-     tit-  ■ 

•vl  i'u-  ;    :it  li    t!i  -!•   it    ovirn  i.'f'    fi- 

iH'iiiv  over  all    sihcr  i-.i-t«i.'> ,  >■,»;•.  : 


flit    '. ••■«;'!  'ijiKly  rrsori   to 

■.•    '•Isi!    t')    till'*    siirlai'i'    1  I 

,'■  ■•    M!)"    Ihuij    :my   otlior 
-    ■    olnli(.n-i.  n    suiie- 
.    obsi'i"  .i; .'>ii 


..-<<••  r 


-'   II*.   n   inocli'.-..  • 

•         .     1    M>         (II    kl 

•    1    I,. 


1 


■■■•■■1}  "   ^      '         tV'^  .:,T>;ii»:  ,    -.»,ll-     >i-ir 

'  »    '    'j,  ,•  W'  I     •      '     ■    'II.    iJIsli    li.    •    '■      :.■         ■-•[■ 

..      ..  :•    •>.  .ifi,,     i      ;    suVstaO''<\    'vr    .uii  I    <  ■  r 

•••i-lv     "..ot  i'.J'ncl      ;')OI)s      ♦"uiu      'wri     ;>(      'jiiM 

^'  ;ii|is',    i"jt  :iv;     r.'»lhf'     ur     ':i  in>    .iiVi!!;!!  ^     i!    it 

fi.        n       )<V!i  •     ll'   I    ^II       .    ..•;(>      'I.i-I;      L     ..il  r.   ul       .ot 

I  •  :  •,•:  uMdjl;  irMii  ii,  as  I  liuvi-  r-ti)..Mi  of  pu  y 
ai  .it'iuit'Tii,k-J  :.L')I' 'f'.rri.i  ii;  i">«",U'v  'iiirly  .  '.-.ii.s 

10      iMJtf  ,      '.iitli'lll     •  .IjHcr'wU;,'     tllf     .'.;(}■■.'     l.'.RJ-.lL'lo 

ci'i't   f:' .';i    i(       A  tijiiliT,  hov.fvfr,  ^\iiii  bin!  vhr 

fur;  ~it;--  Ui  tr  tlio  i.if<.<'-  i  -it'n.t  >•.•■,* 
!iiuLi.'i;,:i'J  V  >n  riiUHt!"  I-  ■'»  'v.;!'  .»>  i  m,  i.; 
;(    ...  ll.--.    ••    ..1     Cf   t..-<.   I    ..    '  .'.J.-..  1    ■!    .:    ;.)■!(! 

,.       .;  •       f'.t     •^U'tf'-f     ','.    ,        ■'.      M       I    1     .jniti> 

!  i    'vi      J       1 .1      «■    .    !■  .11.   ;.•     •;■.''..  i 

Ii    r  1     T.i.    fii.e!i.nin  (i(  tiii.'  Ll" 'Vnnev^r.      »• 

il'Viwri  t'.iis  !sul>j  ■■•■'i.,   i'l  '  r.l'T  '•!  i;,  -  i.v  r  '.'    '♦ 

.-.  ■.!.!  1  ;.  ,.l^    fri  ,  '—  -'y  f.  •   .  '       a             .^«!..;-i 

»  .  '^'  ..  I.   ,,   •'  ..        ■':,.•■ 


•  •■■   _••      i. '■  I.     ■■■       "   1  V  .  IL 

{■'•■•Um!  ".v     t.j    i.'^.r      ,       ,:,/•/  „  .... 

in    riiini;(atiou'.,  ia   •   ■.•  »\\^  ■  y.  .       -   ■ 
r  i.M!  i,»  ii<iiiil  in  Cillh.il;o.  v   jr.i    .*i.  -      i   i- 

m  '■>•  iis»-  <.f  'I  •!••  nn  •■!  i-'i,  ...  l-i;!  '• 
<!.(  .'ill''  If.  r,.  ,i'i  r.ti.ij  t!i..'ii-  .,  r,'\:uil,  .  liftlU, 
boiilew.  ,'1  j't  iiuil  l;!t"r  p.r.'.  i't-r :  taiil  j;>.  »■  oni.e 
i'--.  j":.>;<«.i  Ti  .til  I  omalu  11  /m-  thd  fafi)  i-.nd  '  iiiuls, 
'.■iftivr  (i!;  :  ,■  ov  man  il  'm!.  i  i  ask,  tlujuuii  itn 
cini'.-ll    is    tij    HMi!ii!    jHi'H')!.!'    (■X'reii\(';y    ufiVusivr. 


X.'.iV.'.-  ;;i-!.s   !,  'ty   it     1.  , 
f.-a-I'Ti';  .     ■     •    ■■      '      .',n 
n:  J    >>  .'.  r  ■ 


■  I 


U'li          !■ 

,!      , 

'' 

U  M.m* 

1  ■*» 

,U",    •■• 

l!       > 

•  "StUl 

:r     •     ■ 

I.-      . 

"^ 

n     ',.)  )•(    criiiiint   iiy  ith. 

>:•■:        (■■()!•     'T    1  I'j    is 

•  iij         '•.:!'    •  :   li  i.nu- 

»-•<    :'..         ■     •   'N  .1     I  ill 

■    T-  •.-.  •'••.      t   .   i  U   -t   ^M 


1    'nr,    i.i    v".  \ 


.vdiftri- 

f      IM.I.. 


r  ,i     Lit.  I      >.'  ,.  ..    •       ■::.■■>        ..  •.       ,1 

e.i:.'\    ;  .M       .-Kv.,   'r>  •     <.it   '.i,--         ;      "        '  ,■ 
'.vli...'!:    111.-    L.i.l    i'..'.n,^'    ia    ti  .    ni.i-.    .<,-         '•f.;«i 
:-,i.r..,l     W'.il'i     »!ifi!     !;■-•     iiu  I     ^•aj.t-lrijl     •    »*    ;>■ 
iv-iit   I.'    I  ii;;:!!?!^,  tvAiI  whi' h   in-   ^!<%t>  J    ■.\u-.   -ii 
I  i:i\    >.i.  !     ii  Vty.     ,Vt  tliR  diijt'    i..'  !nAi!;l*    tii. 
,1        I,    t-    lii^!(('i,   tliu   iinilTi'i-Ti^   i\,i>  ,  It'll  ir-.-» 
'       1    t-         lA     ilrl).ii;.'«  i.i    ou"-'-' ,  but  lit-,  st-it   i, 
i,-    '.iii  t    '  •-    i   r    umct'OK   fc'";;'     ..r%  iin.t  siiiiftuw 
|v  '   ..Mir.       l-^  I'   ll- .kcr     .  b- '    ,   'n  iti.-. '   -t  '.  >  Tur- 
I:.  . .  (ii-.u.  any    lu;''     t'>^«i-  .-.it-.i.  .    rtji-    ualivcH 

!    V, li?i'.   -.1  i.(.ji>--ii-4    •    '..!-"    '•'!  ■•  (.  ',«l'  f'lltd 

t'l    i'       i'iji>.!'>.    . »     ]r.c-)><4'  i- -         •  Yhl     Ur-.    of 

.'tl.bi,-i,;V   '     ■     M<J"     K    '..Hi  '■.-.iri.Jiu     I--.     V'HV 

i.'i.'.'y  L  irffi'  '  pi-  f-  u."  ^\  ou,'!i  '■  hu- 
i  •!  .urly  Jvf-n  usp-'  iij  .jaaiji.-.nij  !>y  ;  'rtJi'  cirii- 
nrut     J^"!  jSldllUH.        Il'    A^:lB    llU.t     part    .if    AlVii';!, 


'^' 

1'* 

U      *•'.*-            .         •     .         .^>i 

1 

-      '  ./ 

•  N 

:  i-C   i  .;  .  .      '          ,  ni.'- 

---•-' 

.*, 

t     ■ 

t ,. 

^t 

•M.'                       :d     iirt.'i 

;!  ;w 

..'         V 

fi- 

-■nS 

1 

'     .                                  tMijIi;,',!      I)f 

ft    •" 

1*.  ^       '  ' 

»« 

'     1 

\ '. 

Uip    yit'iruiu" 

^\  .-.n 

■J    .    -,  • 

'     ' 

n 

1 .'. 

'.'•f<  vitLie'i  liad 

'  •  !' 

--V-    .         f 

"fOli 

-.' 

'Oryl        Hrjii-i'-'i 

.»^:t/n 

'l^t 

•I^-  V 

f 

^  mlv  f;:i  5-  npp-  ire 

i.;    'i. 

.'.'alh-^ 

kl' 

iv'llO  1     f'tiHS    of    '.ho 

.sr-'. 

t.K.<t:\'    \Vi 

.ii  . 

I>r>:t>   n-<')!    pr"V"l 

fl-V. 

(tv    b»-;in 

itiHrj-'iiU'ly    «'.'!     tlui 

f'  (Ui 

.     .f    iti.i 

^•l{•i,^l.s     hf^nk^).       Mr 

Ki.l. 

1-1      hoM 

... 

.  > 

i'l'..   "'"  thi.s  sub>n;iiu  0, 

BJX     1 

'•       6l-^voj,      ' 

-'^' 

•^  •i''-Ii.  lieara  voiy  evi- 

ftcn' 

marks  .'' 

1  lOf 

!     .:.  '1  Ipd  by  tlio  iov.-iT 

pi.r'.! 

on  of  :'  • 

..-.eA 

!•» 

■)m  ivLulf. 

.>.M«;i   ■'.>...« itj .J.'  .iW  .   i.'«t:«.>.jal--|  „.a  .iWi,     ; 


lai   ii-;i>ilt.i''»  ■         '^'     -i'-'^- 


'3 


to 


5 

M 


w 


^:3 
< 

O 


-1 


o 


«, 

o 


I    -■LI«,|l|l1PiHIMIIIUJIVl  ^^9^m^ 


i  * 


CHAPTER    IX. 
THE   DOLPHTNS. 

In  addition  to  tne  whalebone  whales,  and  the  Cachalot,  which  have  b'-en  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  pages  as  frequenting  the  North-western  Coast  of  North 
America,  many  species  of  Dolphins  are  also  found.  Those  coming  under  our  ob- 
servation a^e  known  as  the  Blackfish  {GlobiocepMus  Scammmii),  the  Killer  (Orca), 
the  "W'titefish  {Hduga),  the  Bay  Porpoise  {Phocmna  vomerim),  the  Striped  or  Com- 
mon Porpoise  {Lagemrhymhus  obliquidens),  Baird's  Dolphin  {Ddphinus  Bairdii),  the 
Right  Whale  Porpoise  {Leucorhamphus  borealis),  the  Cowfish  {Tursiops  GiUii),  the 
White-headed  or  Mottled  Grampus  {Grampus  Stearnsii),  the  Bottle-nosed  Grampus, 
the  Panama  Grampus,  the  Puget  Sound  Grampus,  the  San  Diego  Bay  Grampus,  the 
Square -headed  Grampus,  the  Brown -sided  Dolphin  of  Santa  Barbara  Channel,  and 
tlie  Narwhal  {Monodou  monoceros).  All  these  species  are  covered  with  a  coating 
of  fat,  or  blubber,  varvin<f  in  thickness  from  one -half  of  one  inch  to  fovr  inches. 

SECTION   I. -THE  BLACKFISH. 

Globiocephalus  Scammonu,  Co2)e.     (Plate  xvi.) 

Blacklish  are  generally  found  wherever  Sperm  Whales  resort,  but  in  many  in- 
stances they  congregate  in  much  larger  numbers,  and  range  nearer  the  const,  than 
the  regular  feediuf- grounds  of  the  latter.  Altliough  subsisting  almost  entirely  upon 
the  same  kind  of  food — the  "squid,"  or  octopus — still,  at  times,  when  schools  of 
them  visit  bays  or  lagooi.s,  they  prey  upon  ■■  -^  small  flsh  swarming  in  those  shal- 
low waters.  In  Magdalena  Pay  we  have  seer  them  in  moderate  numbers,  appearing 
as  much  at  home  miles  from  sea  as  the  t  ommon  Porpoise  or  the  Cowfish.  They 
collect  in  schools,  from  ten  or  twenty  up  to  hundreds,  and  when  going  along  upon 
the  surface  of  the  sea,  there  is  less  of  the  rising  and  falling  movement  than  with 
the  Porpoise,  ;  nl  their  spoutings,  before  "going  down,"  are  irregular,  both  in  num- 
ber and  time  between  respirations.  If  the  animal  is  moving  quickly,  much  of  the 
head  and  body  is  exposed.     Whalemen  call  this  going  "eye  out."     In  low  latitudes, 


86  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST 

during  perfectly  calm  weather,  it  is  not  unfrequcnt  to  find  a  herd  of  th 
quite  still,  huddled  together  promiscuously,  making  no  spout  and  seeming 
a  rest.  Sometimes  they  assume  a  perpendicular  attitude,  with  a  portion  of 
above  the  water,  as  does  the  Sperm  Whale. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1862,  on  the  coast  of  Lower  California,  ir 
31°,  laud  ten  miles  distant,  a  school  of  Blackfish  was  "raised."  The  be 
immediately  lowered  and  gave  chase,  and  three  fish  were  taken.  The  lai 
was  a  male,  and  measured  accurately  as  follows : 

r 

Length 1 

Depth  of  body 

Circumference  of  body 

Expansion  of  flukes I 

Brendth  of  flukes 

From  end  of  head  to  Bpout-holes 

From  end  of  head  to  eye 

From  end  of  liead  to  dorsal  flu 

Length  of  pectorals 

Erom  end  of  head  to  pectorals 

Extreme  width  of  jiectorals 

Opening  of  mouth 

Length  of  dorsal  fin,  along  the  back 

Extreme  lengtli  of  dorsal  fin,  upper  edge 

Extreme  width  of  dorsal  fin 

From  notch  of  flukes  to  vent 

From  notch  of  flukes  to  genital  sLc 

Extension  of  spout-hole  across  the  head . .      i 

The  breadth  of  the  body,  just  forward  of  the  Fide  fins,  was  twenty-tw 
The  number  of  teeth  on  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw  varies  from  ten  to  tv 
the  lower  one   from  eight  to   ten  ;    the  jirotruding  parts  being  from  one- 
three- fourths  of  an   incli  in   length.      Tlio  outline  of  the  head  shows  its  s 
erally,    and    also    the    spiracle,    which    is  of    half- circle    sliape,  opening   i 
as  the  spout  ascends,  and  closing  up\var'1  when   it  has  escaped.      The  jet 
rise  above  two  or  three   feet,  and   its  direction  is  at  a  rigiit  angle  Avitli   t 
when   not  alTocted   by  the  wind.      From  all    that  we  can    learn  of  their 
habitvS,  they  bring  forth  liieir  young  at  any  time,  or  in  any  part  of  the 
nccessitj'  may  require.      0(1"  the  Oulf  of  Dulce,  coast  of  Guatemala,  in  ' 
185.*?,    a    foetus    a    yard    long    was    taken    from    an    adult    measuring    tliirt 
III  the  same  school  from  which  this  female  was  captured,  wo  saw  sever 


THE    DOLPHINS.  87 

ones,  apparently  about  the  same  size  as  the  above  mentioned  foetus,  and  doubtless 
this  animal,  had  it  not  been  disturbed,  would  have  soon  played  in  its  native  ele- 
ment. The  Blackfish  is  taken  for  its  oil,  which  is,  however,  much  inferior  to  that 
of  tlie  Sperm  Whale.  The  yield  is  small  compared  to  its  size,  it  being  from  ten 
to  twenty -five  feet  in  length,  and  producing  from  ton  gallons  to  ten  barrels  of  oil. 
The  blubber  varies  in  thickness  from  one  to  four  inches  ;  its  color  is  nearly  white. 
The  flesh  of  the  Blackfish  is  like  coarse  beef,  and  after  being  exposed  to  the  air 
for  a  few  days,  then  properly  cooked,  is  by  no  means  unsavory  food,  and  is  often 
used  by  whalemen  as  a  substitute  for  the  fresh  meat  of  land  animals.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  different  species  of  porpoises.  Formerly,  Blackfish  were  found 
in  large  luunbers  on  the  coast  of  Lower  California,  particularly  about  Capo  St- 
Lucas,  and  up  the  Gulf  of  California  ;  but  probably,  from  the  same  cause  as  made 
mention  of  concerning  Sperm  Whales,  these  grounds  are  now  seldom  frequented  by 
them. 

Although  the  Blackfish  is  taken  for  its  oil,  it  is  not  an  object  of  pursuit  by 
the  whaler,  like  the  balajnas  and  the  Cachalot.  Sperm  whalers  do  not  lower  their 
boats  for  Blackfish,  when  on  Sperm  Whale  ground,  unless  the  day  is  far  spent,  or 
tliere  is  little  prospect  of  "seeing  whales."  The  northern  or  polar  whale- ships  pay 
Ijut  little  attention  to  them,  except,  perhaps,  when  passing  the  time  "between  sea- 
sons," cruising  within  or  about  the  tropics.  Occasionally  a  small  vessel  is  fitted 
out  for  hunting  the  lilackfish  and  Sperm  Whali',  carrying  a  proportionately  limited 
crow,  thereby  making  the  capture  of  tliis  ^  .,f  the  smaller  Cetaceans  profital)le. 

AVhen  a  ship's  boat  is  lowered  for  Blackfish,  .ue  chase  begins  as  for  other  whales; 
althougli  many  masters  have  their  boats  all  ready,  an<l  run  just  ahead  of,  or  into 
a  "school,"  with  the  ship,  before  lowering,  by  which  ni-ins  the  a;  imals  are  so 
frightened  or  "galiied,"  that  they  "bring  to,"  or  move  slowly  in  all  directions, 
giving  the  boate,  which  arc  instantly  lowered,  a  good  chance  to  "get  fast  '  The 
harpoon  frequently  kills  the  fish ;  if  not,  a  few  darts  with  the  hand  -  lance  dis- 
patch it.  As  soon  as  it  is  dead,  the  prize  almost  invariably  Muks ;  and  if  the 
ship  is  close  at  hand,  it  is  towed  to  the  vessel  at  once ;  but  if  a  considerable 
distance  away,  it  is  cither  made  fast  to  the  "loggerhead"  at  the  stem  the  boat, 
or  a  buoy  is  tied  to  it  and  loft,  lo  be  afterward  recovered;  the  boji  .4i!l  continu- 
ing the  chase.  In  this  way  quite  a  number  are  captured  from  one  school.  The 
favorite  resorts  of  IMackfish,  along  the  coasts  of  North  and  South  America,  on  the 
Tacific  side,  are  ofi"  Guatemala,  Equador,  and  Peru ;  yet  their  geographical  distribu- 
tion is  occasionally  extended  .o  high  northern  and  southern  latitudes. 


88    .        MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 
SECTION  n.-TIIE   ORCA,  OR  KILLER. 

(Plato  svii.) 

The  Orca — a  cetaceous  animal,  commonly  known  as  the  "Kil.jr" — is  one  of 
the  largest  members  of  the  Dolphin  famil}'.  The  length  of  the  adult  males  may 
average  twenty  feet,  and  the  females  fifteen  feet.  The  body  is  covered  with  a 
coating  of  white  fot,  or  blubber,  yielding  a  pure,  transparent  oil.  An  extremely 
prominent  dorsal  fin,  placed  about  two -fifths  of  the  length  of  the  body  from  the 
end  of  the  animal's  beak,  distinguishes  it  from  all  other  Dolphins.  In  the  largest 
species  {Orca  redipinna)  this  prominent  upper  limb  stands  quite  erect,  reaches  the 
height  of  six  foot,  is  dagger -shaped,  and  frequently  turns  over  sideways  at  it3 
extremity.  In  the  animals  of  more  moderate  size,  the  fin  is  broader  at  the  base, 
less  in  altitude,  and  is  slightly  curved  backward,  while  upon  others  it  is  shorter 
still,  and  broader  in  proportion  at  its  junction  with  the  back,  and  is  more  frlcated. 

The  Orea  rectipinna,  so  far  as  we  have  observed,  is  more  slender  in  its  propor- 
tions, and  is  less  marked  with  white  or  liglit  spots  than  the  others.  It  is  usually, 
in  color,  jet-black  above  and  lighter  below;  yet  many  of  inferior  size  are  most 
beautifully  variegated,  the  colors  being  almost  as  vividly  contrasted  as  in  the  stripes 
of  the  tiger  of  India.  Some  individuals  have  a  clear  white  spot,  of  oblong  shape, 
just  behind  the  eyes,  and  a  maroon  band,  of  nearly  crescent  shape,  adorning  the 
back,  behind  the  dorsal  fin,  which  it  more  than  half  encircles.  In  others,  the 
marks  behind  the  eyes  and  dorsal  are  of  a  yellowish  tinge,  and  usually,  when  this 
occurs,  a  small  patch  of  light  shade  borders  the  semicirclod  exterior  spout- hole. 
The  dorsal  band  is  somewhat  pointed  at  the  centre  of  its  convex  side,  and,  when 
looked  at  from  behind  the  creature,  nearly  assumes  the  form  of  a  heart.  The 
under  side  of  the  pectorals  and  the  caudal  fin  are  generally  of  a  milk-white  or 
cream  color,  bordered  by  a  darker  shade  ;  and  the  netlier  portion  of  the  body  is 
white,  with  patches  of  the  same  color  edging  the  sides.  The  lioud  of  the  Orca  is 
more  pointed  than  that  of  the  Blackfisli  {Glohioccphalus),  but  less  so  than  chat  of 
the  Bay  Porpoise  {Phocccna  vomcrina),  to  which  it  bears  a  resemblance.  Its  eyes 
appear  sharp  and  prominent  in  comparison  with  other  Cetaceans,  which  in  a  modified 
degree  indicates  the  animal's  disposition.  Its  mouth  is  armed  with  strong,  sharp, 
conical  teeth,  wliich   interlock,  like  those  of  the  smaller  Dolphins,'"  and  its  whole 

*  In  tbo  lioad-bonos  of  two  Rpocimcus  which      the   upper  anil   lower   jaws,  wore,  respectively, 
wu  exaiuiueil,  the  number  of  teeth  ou  each  of      twelve  and  thirteen. 


■•^¥- 


9 


' '%'/ 


4 


'S'IfTP':  'Wir 


it)  >  ■ 


w 


I 


iRT 


•^lisi 


88   .     MJJUY^:  )funrAL^  of  tuh  Nonm.rnjsi^h^  coa.st. 


BEOTFON  ]i,-Tirr:  ^m^  m  ki  'm 

'I'll"  Orc\  -11  o'.f:!,<o.-u3  .,a;:nr:.].    ■ -r -r    nl.  •,  »■  r -i 

ill  ■  )l  i'^  '^'.i        .,  ■■  ■   '  -      i;     ,.       .. 


tnic/'-io   one 

■  li'.lt   ;,aii.s   n 

■  *    '    vend   ^vii)» 

■'xtruii.. 


J       '*    ■     ..,f; 


MI'ht/V     !-■  i-\-"^! 


-'iii.  .mi   b.iiii'i.-i 


^!    :..!.!,  v^r,!^    yUlc    <ij>OL    v»ll I <;■';;    m.   h    iurnl 
"   ,r.i;M..nlon  at  Hs  juiwti.u  nirl,  :J,c  buck,  .aH   1.  a.oro  falcu.r 


Tl.u  '.;;vi  ?^.'/^»;)(;^  ,   so  Air  ;is  wc    iiuvo    ^,bs,:^od 


i-'  .niorf'   slcii'lcr  m  ifs  pro] 


tin,,..  uM.l   H  .oM  v.nk<d   wiih  .vim.  or  li^h^  ^pot.   C.n   M,e  .,!.,■..      Jt   is  usual 
in    coitT,   jot  b!.ii'      abuvu    :nu    .li^l. 


)0 


■  ,inn- 


,1    '■;•       I       .■ 


•=''.'    -ira   n.o 


\    a;  ;  ,.j    1  -  , 


^';'  ■■        •■  ■       ,ior?,    ;t 


.-.  ;ur.- 

'->■'  ..    i   \ 


; '■>'■:    '•  ^  ■'';».•■,    ,:(>ativ    n>^;(^  >:.    (j, 
)-uis   ,i!ht    I'l.:   Ci,mi.al    lit, 

'•''    •'''',      i     ';,''"    \  P'iiJ'"lih      r-.nurhht )     i«    \\>    i-l 
'  1'^"    '■     '   -r       ■•  1 --^  iiTi.ioni,  :ii  'N-'iupar-KK!  \'=*\ 
"'■''■     ;>'•.•.'■        ,      :,:;;">  i|s   'iMpo-'iUoa,       ^v, 
"  -i-'"'    ^:  •  -'         "  '■    '    i M:  ix,    i.^..    ..lO.lO     ..    U 


•■■t  la-. 


..('•  (J 
1  ">>!<,   i 

' 

■■.!5i   'Jiat;  0 

It  i'l 

itii    I'yo 

ii 

t    n    NOf'ifie. 

i 

■Fi-'lff,    ■■iliU'p 

^i.'H' 


'-      (it 


■  H'    "   "  .  \d    its  \vli..l< 


itgl.,".  mi"     ■■  .■!i»pBP«~"*<.IWW-P«M')  ••'  I'lin  Ji«HH5H»flP«'lBWil,«JH!,! 


•^immmiirimm^mi^m^ 


4i4>JiLaiiu"^jjl(pi|ilf^!ij  (iiiji  'i!^^ 


Plate  xvn 


~i 


C.A!  i'Mifi.^KJi'  jfl 


ORCAS  CR    tCILLERV. 
1.  ORCA   RECTIPiHNA,COP|      E  QRCA  ATER,   uCPF.     3     O '^CA  >  ATtK  ,  /  ft  «  !  . 


(.(/ft  riOi'lMiA  Rsy 


i  f 


.jiMA-ii^ 


MiiiiitaHiMiMi. 


rn— iiiiV<ii(niftB 


THE   DOLPHINS.  89 

formation  combines  great  strength  with  agility — if  wc  exclude  its  towering  upper 
fin,  with  which  the  largest  are  furnished.  This  protuberance,  on  account  of  its 
extraordinary  elongation,  imparts  to  the  animal  a  very  unwieldy  appearance  ;  and, 
as  it  vibrates  in  the  air  when  the  creature  rolls  to  and  fro,  or  makes  its  sidelong 
bounds  over  the  waves,  appears  to  be  a  great  burden,  and  to  require  much  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  wearer  to  keep  right-side  up.  Its  two  spiracles,  which  unite  in 
one  at  their  orifice,  situated  above  and  behind  the  eyes,  are  covered  by  a  cartilagi- 
nous valve,  which  opens  and  closes  on  its  posterior  side  at  every  respiration.  The 
vapor  or  spout  emitted  is  "low  and  bushy,"  like  that  of  the  Blackfish.  The  animal 
is  entirely  free  from  parasites,  its  scarf-skin  being  beautifully  smooth  and  glossy. 

Until  recently,  we  Avere  under  the  impression  that  the  short- finned  Killers 
upon  the  western  coast  of  North  America  were  inhabitants  especially  of  the  frosty 
regions ;  but  recent  observations  prove  that  they  frequent  both  the  high  and  low 
latitudes.  Indeed,  they  may  be  regarded  as  marine  beasts,  that  roam  over  every 
ocean  ;  entering  bays  and  lagoons,  where  they  spread  terror  and  death  among  the 
mammoth  balfcnas  and  the  smaller  species  of  dolphins,  as  well  as  pursuing  the 
seal  and  walrus,  devouring,  in  their  marauding  expeditions  up  swift  rivers,  num- 
berless salmon  or  other  large  fishes  that  may  come  in  their  way.  It  is  well  known 
that  there  are  several  species  of  Orcas,  incident  to  their  wide  geographical  distribu- 
tion, which  includes  every  zone  and  hemisphere ;  but  those  we  have  described  are, 
to  our  knowledge,  found  in  the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  in  the  Okhotsk  and  Behring 
seas,  and  through  Behring  Strait  into  the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  habits  of  the  Killers 
exhibit  a  boldness  and  cunning  peculiar  to  their  carnivorous  propensities.  At  times 
they  are  seen  in  schools,  undulating  over  the  waves  —  two,  three,  six,  or  eight 
abreast — and,  with  the  long,  pointed  fins  above  their  arched  backs,  together  with 
their  varied  marks  and  colors,  they  present  a  pleasing  and  somewhat  military  aspect. 
But  generally  they  go  in  small  squads — less  than  a  dozen — alternately  showing 
themselves  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  or  gliding  just  below,  when  nothing  will 
be  visible  but  their  projecting  dorsals ;  or  they  disport  themselves  by  rolling,  tum- 
bling, and  leaping  nearly  out  of  water,  or  cutting  various  antics  with  their  flukes. 
At  such  times,  they  usually  move  rapidly  over  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  soon 
disappear  in  the  distance. 

Both  the  high  and  low  finned  Orcas  are  found  in  the  same  school ;  yet  we 
have  occasionally  seen  those  with  the  lowest  and  most  falcated  fins  exclusively  by 
themselves.  Three  or  four  of  these  voracious  animals  do  not  hesitate  to  grapple 
with  the  largest  baleen  whales ;  and  it  is  surprising  to  see  those  leviathans  of 
the    deep    so    completely    paralyzed    by    the    presence    of    their    natural,    although 

Mahikk  Masimals.  — 12. 


90  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

diminutive,  enemies.  Frequently  the  terrified  animal — comparatively  of  enormous 
size  and  superior  strength — evinces  no  effort  to  escape,  but  lies  in  a  helpless  con- 
dition, or  makes  but  little  resistance  to  the  assaults  of  its  merciless  destroyers, 
The  attack  of  these  wolves  of  the  ocean  upon  their  gigantic  prey  may  be  likened 
in  some  respects,  to  a  pack  of  hounds  holding  the  stricken  deer  at  bay.  Thej 
cluster  about  the  animal's  head,  some  of  their  number  breaching  over  it,  whih 
others  seize  it  by  the  lips  and  haul  the  bleeding  monster  under  water ;  and  wher 
captured,  should  the  mouth  be  open,  they  eat  out  its  tongue.  We  saw  an  attack 
made  by  three  Killers  upon  a  cow  whale  and  her  calf,  in  a  lagoon  on  the  coast  of 
Lower  California,  in  the  spring  of  1858.  The  whale  was  of  the  Californiii  Graj 
species,  and  her  young  was  grown  to  three  times  the  bulk  of  the  largest  Killers 
engaged  in  the  contest,  which  lasted  for  an  hour  or  more.  They  made  alternate 
assaults  upon  the  old  whale  and  her  ofTspring,  finally  killing  the  latter,  which  sunk 
to  the  bottom,  where  the  water  was  five  fathoms  deep.  During  the  struggle,  the 
mother  became  nearly  exhausted,  having  received  several  deep  wounds  about  the 
throat  and  lips.  As  soon  as  their  prize  had  settled  to  the  bottom,  the  three  Orcas 
descended,  bringing  up  largo  pieces  of  flesh  in  their  mouths,  which  they  devourec 
after  coming  to  the  surface.  While  gorging  themselves  in  this  wise,  the  old  whale 
made  her  escape,  leaving  a  track  of  goiy  water  behind.  Instances  have  been  known 
on  the  North-western  Coast,  where  a  band  of  Orcas  laid  siege  to  whales  that  hac 
been  killed  by  whalemen,  and  which  were  being  towed  to  the  ship,  in  so  deter- 
mined a  manner,  that,  although  they  were  frequently  lanced  and  cut  with  boat- 
spades,  they  took  the  dead  animals  from  their  human  captors,  and  hauled  them 
under  water,  out  of  sight.  The  Orca,  however,  does  not  always  live  on  sucl 
gigantic  food  ;  and  we  incline  to  the  belief  that  it  is  but  rarely  these  carnivora  oi 
the  sea  attack  the  larger  Cetaceans,  but  chiefly  prey  with  great  rapacity  upon  theii 
young.  The  Orca  finds  its  principal  food  in  the  smaller  species  of  its  own  genus 
together  with  seals  and  the  larger  fislics,  as  before  mentioned.  For  several  season; 
we  had  watched  them  about  the  seal  islands  of  California,  and  came  to  the  con 
elusion  that  they  subsisted  on  the  fish  found  around  the  edge  of  the  kelp  whicl 
fringes  the  shores.  By  chance,  however,  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  take  one  a 
the  island  of  Asuncion,  and,  on  examining  its  stomach,  found  it  filled  with  younj 
seals.  At  the  time  it  was  the  height  of  the  sealing  season,  and  the  beaches  arounc 
the  island  were  lined  with  innumerable  herds ;  and,  although  there  were  sealing 
parties  about  the  rocks  from  early  dawn  until  dusk  of  evening,  no  one  ever  sav 
these  savage  animals  molest  the  seals  that  were  continually  swimming  about  in  ver^ 
large  numbers.     Subsequently,  wo  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  observe  them  a 


THE  DOLPHINS.  01 

the  island  of  Santa  Barbara,  in  animated  pursuit  of  their  proy.  Only  four  of  the 
short- finned  Killers  were  in  the  band.  It  was  a  windy  day,  and  a  heavy  surf 
beat  liigh  and  spitefully  against  the  rugged  points  and  bluflfs,  which  seemed  to 
arouse  both  aquatic  beast  and  bird  into  most  unusual  activity,  for  the  gulls  and 
eagles  hovered  and  swooped  above,  watching  to  snatch  any  morsel  that  might 
drop  from  the  murderous  jaws  of  the  pursuing  Killers,  who  were  making  the  circuit 
of  the  island,  apparently  intent  on  surprising  any  unwary  seal  that  might  be  play- 
ing in  the  surge;  and  upon  meeting  with  one  they  would  instantly  dive  after  it, 
or  bound  over  the  projecting  rocky  points  in  hot  chase,  as  the  surf  swept  over 
them ;  but  as  soon  as  thoy  discovered  our  boat,  they  dashed  their  flukes  in  the 
air,  and  made  off  for  the  open  sea.  Even  the  largest  male  sea- lions  endeavor  to 
avoid  the  Orcas ;  for  whenever  the  latter  are  about  the  rocks  and  islets,  those 
howling  monsters  seek  a  safe  retreat  on  shore. 

That  the  Orca  is  possessed  of  great  swiftness   is  undeniable,  when  we  realize 
the  fivct  that  the  numerous  species  of  Dolphins  are  overtaken  by  them  and  literally 
swallowed  alive.      Eschricht,   in  his   interesting  memoir  on  The  Northern  Species  of 
Orca,  states  that  it  had  been  known  to  swallow  four  porpoises  in  succession,  and 
that  thirteen  of  these  animals,  together  with  fourteen  seals,  had  been  found  in  the 
maw  of  one  of  these  greedy  creatures,  which  measured  only  sixteen  feet  in  length, 
rho  fierce  character  of  the  Orca,   and   the  nature  of  its  food,  necessarily  bring  its 
liaunts  at  or  near  the  coast;    and    the  sounds  and   bays,   which   teem  with  every 
raricty  of  marine  animal  life,  are  much  more  frequently  its  feeding -grounds  than 
he  periodical  abodes  of  the  balsenas,  which  are  farther  out  in  the  ocean.     The  vast 
let -work   of  inland  waters  on  the  western   coasts  of  British  Columbia  and  Alaska 
s  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Orcas  throughout  the  year.      In   the  fishing  season  we 
lavc  met  with  them   in  the  vicinity  of  the  Nass  River,  exhibiting  their  variously 
igurod  dorsals  and  colored  marks,  as  they  made  their  gambols  or  shot  out  upon  the 
surface   in  the  chase.      Duiiug  the  early  spring  months  the  oulacon  literally  choke 
he  mouth  of  the  Nass,  and   here  the   seals  and  porpoises  congregate  to  fill   them- 
lelves  to  repletion  from  the  myriads  of  those  minnows  ;  and,  in  turn,  in  obedience 
o  the  laws  of  nature,  the  Orcas  are   found   here,  pursuing  and   devouring  the  ene- 
nies  of  the  "small  fish."*     They  will  sometimes  be  seen  peering  above  the  surface 
vith    a    seal    in    their    bristling   jaws,    shaking    and    crushing    their    victims,    and 
wallowing  them  apparently  with  great   gusto;   or,   should  no   other  game  present 
tself,  porpoises  and  salmon  may  fill  their  empty  maws,  or  a  Humpback  or  Finback 
vhale  may  furnish  them  an  ample  repast. 

♦"Small  fish"  is  thfr common  name  for  outacoM. 


92  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

i 

'  ...  •  . 

Farther   northward,   among   the  icy  regions,   the  Orca  delights  in   the  pursui 

and  destruction  of  the  White  Whale,  or  Beluga,  and   in   robbing   the  walrus  of  iti 

helpless  offspring.     The  tender  flesh  and  rich  fat  of  the  White  Whale  furnishes  then 

with  choice  food  ;   but,  as  if  not  content  with  satiating  their  own  greed,  they  seen 

j  to  aina  at  the  total  destruction  of  their  victims,  by  tearing  the  whole  animal  int( 

\  fragments.      Captain   IlolboU  writes  of  the  Greenland   Killers  as  follows:      "In  th( 

year  1827,  I  was  myself  an  eye-witness  of  a  great  slaughter  performed  by  thes( 
rapacious  animals.  A  shoal  of  belugas  had  been  pursued  by  these  blood -thirstj 
animals  into  a  bay  in  the  neighborhood  of  Godhaven,  and  were  there  literally  ton 
to  pieces  by  them.  Many  more  of  the  belugas  were  killed  than  eaten  ;  so  that  the 
Greenlanders,  besides  their  own  booty,  got  a  good  share  of  that  of  the  Killers." 

It  has  been  said  that  even  the  full-grown  walrus,  although  armed  with  lonj 
tusks,  is  fearful  of  the  Orca ;  but  in  relation  to  that,  we  have  nothing  in  our  notei 
of  observation  to  substantiate  the  assertion.  It  is  true,  the  ponderous  creaturei 
will  crawl  upon  the  ice  with  their  little  ones  to  avoid  the  Killers,  but  it  seem! 
to  be  only  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  their  cherished  young  beyond  the  reach  ol 
their  enemies.  Sometimes  the  cub  will  mount  upon  its  mother's  back  for  refuge 
clinging  to  it  with  instinctive  solicitude.  When  in  this  apparentlj'-  safe  position 
the  rapacious  Orca  quickly  dives,  and,  coming  up  under  the  parent  animal,  with  i 
spiteful  thud  throws  the  young  one  from  the  dam's  back  into  the  water,  when  ii 
a  twinkling  it   is  seized,  and,  with  one  crush,  devoured  by  its  adversary. 

Conjpared  with  other  species  of  the  Dolphin  tribe,  the  Orcas  are  not  numer 
ous,  neither  do  they  usually  go  u\  large  shoals  or  schools,  like  the  jjorpoises  anc 
Blackfish.  Their  mating  season,  or  time  of  gestation,  is  a  matter  of  conjecture 
probably  in  this  respect  they  are  similar  to  the  Sperm  Whale.  We  have  met  witl 
them  in  midwinter,  in  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  and  along  the  northern  coast  as  far  ai 
Sitka,  as  often  as  at  other  seasons  of  the  year,  showing  plainly  that  they  arc  no 
confined  to  warm  latitudes,  nor  migrate  from  the  colder  climates  during  the  rigor 
ous  months.  They  are  seldom  captured  by  civilized  whalemen,  as  their  varied  ant 
irregular  movements  make  the  pursuit  difficult,  and  the  product  of  oil  is  even  lesi 
than  that  of  the  Blackfish,  in  proportion  to  their  size.  The  Makah  Indians,  how 
ever,  occasionally  pursue  and  take  them  about  Cape  Flattery,  in  Washington  Terri 
tory,  as  they  consider  their  flesh  and  fat  more  luxurious  food  than  the  largei 
baljcnas,  or  rorquals.  But,  in  whatever  quarter  of  the  world  the  Orcas  are  found 
they  seem  always  intent  upon  seeking  something  to  destroy  or  devour. 


THE    DOLPHINS.  93 

SECnC  N   m.-THE  WHITEFISH.   OR  WHITE  WHALE. 

Beluoa,   n.    sp.?      (Plate  xviii,   fig.    1.) 

Our  opportunities  for  observing  this  beautiful  member  of  the  Dolphin  family 
have  been  as  follows:  In  the  Okhotsk  Sea,  along  the  coast  of  Eastern  Siberia, 
during  the  summer  of  1802;  in  Plover  Bay  (latitude  64°  20'  north,  longitude 
173°  07'  west),  September,  1805;  in  the  same  place  and  month,  1800;  and  in 
Norton  Sound,  September,  1805. 

Before  entering  into  the  details  of  its  habits  and  the  mode  of  its  capture,  we 
will  briefly  describe  this  inhabitant  of  the  far  north,  as  we  have  seen  it,  westward 
of  the  Pacific  American  shores ;  and  whose  haunts  also  include  tlio  Arctic  Ocean, 
and  the  seas  of  Okhotsk  and  Behring.  The  animal,  which  is  distinguished  by  its 
uniform  light  soft  hue  at  maturity,  resembles  the  Leucorhamphus  Feronii  in  its  sym- 
metry of  upper  contour.  Its  linear  dimensions  average  perhaps  thirteen  feet; 
althoufeli  the  largest  ones  considerably  exceed  that  length.  Its  head  is  small ;  its 
prominent  forehead  being  protected  with  a  fatty  cushion  similar  to  that  of  the 
Blackfish.  Its  short  oval  and  fleshy  pectorals  are  placed  more  than  one -fifth  of  the 
length  of  the  whole  animal  from  its  muzzle,  giving  that  portion  between  the  head 
proper  and  the  fins  the  appearance  of  a  true  neck.  TLo  opening  ot  its  mouth  is 
contracted  and  curved  upward.  Both  upper  and  lower  jaws  are  furnished  with 
sharp  conical  teeth,  and  among  the  adults  the  dental  formulae  may  be  put  down  at 
V  V,  or  eleven  teeth  on  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw,  and  eight  on  each  side  of  the 
lower  one.  Its  diminutive  eyes  are  but  little  larger  than  those  of  the  Common  Por- 
poise. The  minute  orifices  which  constitute  the  ears  are  covered  with  a  sort  of 
scale  that  quite  conceals  them.  Its  spiracle  is  situated  a  little  behind  the  angle 
of  the  eye.  The  body  is  full,  and  tapers  rather  abruptly  toward  the  caudal  fin, 
which  is  broad,  and  in  expansion  exceeds  that  of  the  Orca,  or  Globiocej)Jialus.  The 
color  of  the  adults  is  invariably  a  yellowish  white,  while  the  very  young  are  of  a 
leaden  or  bluish  black;  but  as  these  mature  they  become  mottled,  and  eventually 
assume  the  soft  cream -like  tinge  of  the  parent  animal.  This  species  of  the  Dolphin 
family  is  very  rapid  in  its  motions,  and  its  swiftness  is  brought  into  full  play  when 
in  pursuit  of  the  numerous  varieties  of  fishes  along  the  sea  shores  or  up  the  rapid 
rivers.  When  making  prey  of  such  bottom  fish  as  the  flounder  and  halibut,  it 
often  darts  into  shallows  where  it  can  hardly  float;  but,  like  the  California  Gray, 
in  this  respect,  it  evinces  no  alarm  at  its  situation,  and  makes  but  little  efifort  td 
reach  a  greater  depth.     The  White  Whale,  like  all  others  of  this  family,  is  fond 


94  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

of  gathering  in  troops,  yet  wo  liavo  observed  that  it  generally  advances  in  lir 
seldom  more  than  two  <r  three  abreast,  or  more  frequently  in  single  file  ;  sp( 
irregulany,  and  showing  little  of  its  form  above  water.  When  unduiating  ah 
this  manner,  it  often  makes  a  noise  at  the  moment  of  coming  to  the  surfa 
respire,  which  may  bo  likened  to  the  faint  lowing  of  an  ox ;  but  the  stra.a 
so  prolonged.  Sornetinies  those  animals  will  gambol  about  vessels  as  porpoise 
but  at  the  slightest  noise  upon  the  water,  or  at  the  discharge  of  fire-arms 
instantly  disappear. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Captain  Arnold,  v;  >  are  able  to  add  the  measure 
of  a  White  Whale  killed  at  the  fishery  on  Tigol  River,  Eastern  Siberia.  Tl 
scription  and  proportions  of  the  specimen  alluded  to  are  as  follows : 

Ft.     I) 

From  tip  of  snout  to  noich  of  flukos . . .  , 16    ( 

From  tip  of  snout  to  f.orn>  r  of  mouth 1     ( 

From  tip  of  Hnout  to  eye 1     ^ 

From  tip  of  Hnout  to  sjiout-holo 2    i 

From  tip  of  snout  to  pectorals 3     ) 

From  eye  to  top  of  head 1     ! 

From  notch  of  flukos  to  vent 4     ! 

From  notch  of  hukes  to  genital  Blit R    ! 

Expansion  of  flukes ?>  1( 

Breadth  of  flukos 1  1 

Thickness  of  flukos 0    I 

Round  the  body  in  largest  place 'J  K 

Length  of  pectorals 1  \ 

Width  of  pect'  'i-als 1     ; 

Thickness  of  blubber 0    • 

Sex,  male  ;  color,  white.  Color  of  blubber,  yellowish  white  ;  yield  of  oi 
hundred  gallons. 

At  this  place  the  animal  ascends  the  river  a  dihtance  of  thirty  miles,* 
it  i^"  cnptured  with  the  harpoon  and  lance  as  in  ordinary  whaling;  but  in 
Cftuaries^  which  branch  from  tlie  northern  seas  it  is  taken  in  nets,  (hiring  II 
son  from  .Tune  to  September.  Large  numbers  are  captured  by  \\w  natives  ol 
c  asts,  a»id  the  oil  obtained  is  to  them  a  valuable  article  of  coi..iuorco.  In  i 
the  fat  of  the  White  Whale  is  considered  a  luxurious  dish  fo'  the  table,  ai 
lean  lleih  supplies  ample  food  for  the  sledge- dogs. 

*  Dall   gives  nn  account  of   a   btlugii   being      tho  Yukon    River,  about  seven   liundrec 
taken  by  the  Russians,   in  18C3,  at  Nuln.to,  on      from  tho  Hoa. 


TEE    DOLPHINS.  96 

SECTION  IV.-THE  BAY  PORPOISE. 

PnociNA  VOMERINA,    Gill.      (Plate   xviii,   fig.    2,   3,   4.) 

This  peculiar  species  of  Dolphin  is  the  least  in  size  of  the  entire  whale  tribe 
inhabiting  the  Pacific  North  American  Coast.  When  fully  matured  it  may  attain 
the  length  of  six  feet,  iKit  those  we  have  had  opportunity  to  measure  fell  con- 
siderably short  of  those  dimensions.  Usually  the  adults  arc  not  more  than  four 
and  one- half  feet  between  linear  ex+remes.  The  body  of  the  male  is  jet  black 
above,  a  little  lighter  below  ;  and  whilo  the  female  is  of  the  same  color  above,  it 
is  liglitor  on  the  sides,  with  a  narrow  black  streak  running  from  the  corner  of  the 
mouth  to  the  pectorals,  and  the  lower  portion  of  the  animal  is  of  a  milky  white- 
ness, yet  the  pectoral  and  caudal  fins  are  black  underneath,  or  of  a  dark  gray. 
Occasionally,  however,  both  males  and  females  are  found  with  the  larger  portion, 
or  th(!  whole,  of  their  dorsal  and  caudal  fins  white.  The  former  are  of  triangular 
shape,  and  placed  very  nearly  midway  between  the  animal's  extremities.  The 
caudal  fin  varies  much  in  its  contour,  sometimes  licing  quite  broad  and  straight 
0  1  ita  posterior  edge,  wliich  is  slightly  notched  in  the  centre;  in  other  specimens 
the  caudal  lobes  are  lunate,  and  united  present  a  forked  appearance.  Its  pectorals 
are  v-xtremely  small  and  placed  low.  Its  head  is  somewhat  pointed,  but  destitute 
of  the  slender,  elongated  beak  of  the  Delphinaa  Bairdii,  and  the  Right  Whalo 
Porpoise,  The  anterior  portion  of  the  animal  resembles  that  of  both  the  Orca  and 
the  White-headed  Grampus-.  lis  eyes  are  placed  about  two  inches  behind  the 
corner  of  the  mouth,  and  nearly  in  a  line  with  it.  Its  ears  are  two  inches 
from  the  eyes,  and  these  minute  orifices  would  not  be  noticed  by  the  casual 
observer,  as  they  are  less  than  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  spiracles 
are  placed  a  little  forward  of  the  eyes,  aiul  unite  in  one  where  they  pass  through 
the  fleshy  part  of  the  cranium.  The  valve  whicii  covers  them  is  convex  on  its 
posterior  side.  When  the  animal  respires  this  valve  is  turned  downward.  Roth 
upi.er  and  lower  jaws  are  furnished  with  teeth,  which  in  the  adults  aio  thin,  flat, 
and  broadest  near  their  summits.  In  one  example,  a  female  four  feet  long,  taken 
at  San  Francisco,  California,  the  number  was  U,  "nd  in  another,  H  In  a  male, 
four  feet  eight  inches  in  lengtli,  taken  in  Port  Townsend  Ray,  Washington  Terri- 
tory,  the  number  was  the  same  as  last  mentioned. 

The  foUowing  measurements  and  memoranda  were  carefully  taken  from  a  male 
Bpecimen  obtained  at  Port  Townsend,  Washington  Territory,  April  28th,  18G9  • 


90  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAS'j 

Length 

Greatest  girth  ( behind  pectorals ) 

Girth  at  the  vent 

From  tiji  of  snout  to  pectorals 

Length  of  pectorals 

Width  of  pectorals 

From  tip  of  snout  to  dorsal  fin 

Length  of  dorsal  fin,  along  the  back 

Height  of  dorsal  tin 

Expansion  of  caudal  fin 

Greatest  breadth  of  each  lobe 

From  tip  of  snout  to  genital  slit 

From  tip  of  snout  to  vent 

Opening  of  mouth 

From  tip  of  snout  to  eyes 

From  tip  of  snout  to  spout-hole 

Dejith  of  small  at  junction  with  caudal  fin 

Depth  of  small  at  the  vent 

Thickness  of  blubber 

Another   specimen,   a  female,   taken    at    San    Francisco,    California,   d 
summer  of  1872,  was  examined  and  measured,  with  the  following  results 

Length 

Greatest  girth  ( behind  pectorals ) 

From  tip  of  snout  to  pectorals 

Length  of  pectorals 

V^'dtli  of  jjectorals 

Irom  tip  of  snout  to  dorsal  fin 

Height  of  dorsal  fin 

Length  of  dorsal  fin  along  the  back 

Expansion  of  caudal  fin 

Breadth  of  each  lobe  of  caudal  fin 

Depth  of  small  at  junction  with  caudal  fin 

Thickness  of  small  at  junction  with  caudal  fin 

From  tip  of  snout  to  corner  of  mouth 

From  tip  of  snout  to  eyes 

From  tip  of  snout  to  spiracle 

From  tip  of  snout  to  oars 

From  notdi  of  caudal  fin  to  voiit 

From  notch  of  caudal  fin  io  genital  slit 

From  notch  of  caudal  fin  to  toat  slit 

Thickness  of  blubber 


•I'  ■' 


■■^'  i'i-i 


>*'? 
¥• 


-4 


•■(■■*  J 


'•^ 


ny, 


:.\ 
,4 


^n  #^ 


'  '^-f-SW'SiE.  .*  .  -'  . 


{)Cy  Ms'.      :  A  .f- 


V  V  i  ^:  J    f /  ?^'    rji  u  so  ■■:  Til-  -  a  '•    '  oj,s  r. 


L<^=ij;-  .  

t^  :    1    )'.  tUi-   \'-i-l  .    • 

Vim    ti,>  i.f  Kjumf  I'  '.lotsal  ti^.    . . 

1    ,:   '     .  .     ■■     «.in!  :,'  VPM    


t!. 

-U. 

•J 

■3 

...              •' 

2 

1 

1 

1 

0 

■J 

8 

l> 

'-•i 

'2 

.■■ 

9 

.  *    i  \  J^^ 


i).  pill  h;„..  ill  :■;    jrii,c;.i<.T-  \Mih  <.'ai  i  .1  Jh'. ^' 

l>t-;.tL  of  sw.'l  (it  tlu>  v,M 


Tl)'.  ii.;  .-K  ')•   Muliber. 


0    7 
.:     1 


iiri)nu-r  'ii    i^'^':    v^.t^       .;■  i^  ;  •;    ^         ;■         ••     ^      .       '.    ■■■-      '  .» .'  >      ;-^' 

'•i.   I- . 
.     '  ■'    ^ 

\  (I)    !l,     ^    |»'-l  ■'■■■ 

■^\  ,.1  1  -  .■•  .■■-'; 

n  ■.;\!  ■.■■  !■  •iti  !. 

Jj  ;i   ti;   ■•'     l.'i-'Ul   lin   1  I  .i',r     ii'     ii.uk.     ,.         ...  .  

ij\i   'U...  •■<   lif    ••.uiiiiil   li.i  .,,.       

l>r.   ■    '1;     .t  ■•.I'  i;     •■'>•     ;<1      :u:  ill    K^i     ,  ,  

fi.'.i'i    >)■  ,!i.   .';    -.t    iu'i'iir."   n-.tl.  •    >.1U   liii      .  ■    ••    ••    ••■ 

'j:;!    '.i.ti    -I     ..         .    [it    jli!     ^0;         i''i.rHiidal    Hu  ... 

)■■   ,    ;,    ,,•         f     -^       1,    tn    ••..utmi    •   ■     li.>>uHi  .... 

r.     ■_      :   ,  .:   U,     ■-•    .s  ....      . 

"       ■:            ,        1       \    lit     *           |.'       ■   II-                          ,.,.,... 
".       ,)  .,  "       .  ui  .  .   .    , 

rr..'-i         '  •  ■'    ■       >v,    ',.'■:  .1        •      ■    , 

I'    ,1,1   ,,     ,  ;,.  •/•  .        u  I  .        tuln'  isli*        

1  'iii'li'.i'."*i-<  .'i     '  •''''.  •  ■  •  '  •  ■ 


I 

■I 

1) 

0 

t 

■] 

s' 

li 

0 

■1 

0 

I'l 

0 

;U 

(• 

K 

I 

4 

1 

5 

,  ,     ,             ( 

C 

...       *l 

<►? 

imi.iiiijii^fiBiiumji  x-Jvw.fip)' 


■  U!,-W4<PPII!W 


I 


0)0. 


'-I,    •   •  •!      11.11  Hii^mvmKT 


THE   DOLPHINS.  97 

Color  of  body,  black  above,  lighter  on  the  sides,  and  white  below ;  under  side 
of  caudal  and  pectoral  fins,  black. 

The  coating  of  fat  or  blubber  which  covers  the  Bay  Porpoise,  is  either  of  a 
yellowish  white  or  pearl  color,  and  in  thickness,  varies  from  one -half  of  an  inch 
to  au  inch  and  a  half. 

The  habits  of  this  animal  differ  from  those  of  other  species  found  in  the  open 
sea  or  along  the  coast.  Their  favorite  resort  seems  to  be  in  the  discolored  waters, 
between  the  limits  of  the  pure  ocean  element  and  the  fresh  rivers.  They  are  rarely 
seen  far  from  either  side  of  these  boundaries.  Our  observation  proves  that  they 
are  found  as  far  south  as  Banderas  Bay,  and  about  the  mouth  of  the  Piginto 
River,  on  the  coast  of  Mexico  (which  estuary  is  in  latitude  20°  30'),  and  as 
far  north  as  the  Columbia  River,  latitude  46°  10'.  In  the  winter  season  they  are 
seen  off  Astoria,  and  in  Cathlamet  Bay,  twenty  miles  above ;  but  during  the  spring 
and  summer,  when  the  river  is  fresh  to  its  mouth,  and  in  some  instances  for  miles 
at  sea,  they  leave  the  Columbia,  folloAving  in  the  vein  of  mixed  water.  They  are 
never  found  in  large  schools ;  but  occasionally  six  or  eight  may  bo  scon  scattered 
about,  appearing  on  the  surface  alternately,  sometimes  singly,  or  two  or  three  at 
the  same  instant.  Neither  do  they  make  those  playful  gambols  and  leaps  that  the 
larger  dolphins  do,  their  general  habit  being  to  make  a  quick  puff  and  turn  as 
soon  as  they  appear  above  water,  apparently  choosing  the  darkness  below  rather 
than  the  light  above.  It  is  not  from  shyness,  however,  for  they  arc  met  with 
about  roadsteads  and  harbors,  among  shipping,  and  frequently  play  their  odd  turn- 
ings close  to  vessels  under  way,  or  at  their  moorings.  By  night,  when  at  anchor, 
we  have  known  them  to  play  about  tlie  vessel's  rudder ;  but  this  may  be  regarded 
as  an  vuiusual  occurrence.  Sometimes  they  arc  seen  among  the  breakers,  on  the 
bars  fronting  harbor  mouths,  darting  through  or  along  the  crests  of  the  rollers 
as  if  excited  into  unusual  action  by  the  dashing  waves  surrounding  them.  They 
feed  upon  small  fish,  and  arc  occasionally  taken  in  the  seines  that  are  hauled  along 
the  shores  of  San  Francisco  Bay  by  thc'  Italian  fishermen.  The  northern  Indians 
frequently  capture  them  about  the  inland  waters,  during  the  clear,  culm  weather  of 
the  summer  months.  At  such  times  they  come  up  and  lie  quite  motionless,  for  a 
brief  interval,  upon  the  glassy  surface  of  the  water,  as  if  basking ;  then  the 
wily  savage,  who  is  on  the  watch,  silently  paddles  his  canoe  within  gunshot, 
and  fires  a  ball  through  the  animal's  brain ;  this,  of  course,  kills  it  instantly,  and 
it  generally  floats  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  enable  the  pursuer  to  obtain  his 
prize,  which  is  regarded  as  a  great  delicacy,  and  a  time  of  feasting  in  his  lodge 
quickly  follows. 

Mabikx  MAmiALa.  — IL 


08  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE  NORTH-WESTERN   COASl 


SECTION  V. -THE  STRIPED  OR  COMMON  PORPOISE. 

Laoenobhtnchcs  OBLiqciDEMS,  Gill.     (Plate  zix^fig.  2.) 

This  species  of  the  smaller  dolphins  varies  but  little  in  its  general  pr 
from  Baird's  Dolphin,  except  in  its  back  fin,  which  is  more  falcated  anc 
and  its  snout,  which  is  more  blunt.  In  point  of  color  it  is  greenish  blac 
upper  surface,  lightened  on  the  sides  with  broad  longitudinal  stripes  of  wb 
and  dull  black,  which  in  most  examples  run  into  each  other,  but  below 
pearly  or  snowy  white.  The  posterior  edge  of  the  dorsal  fin  is  tipped 
white  or  gray,  and   sometimes  the  flukes  are  marked  in  the  same  manner. 

We  have  observed  that  this  species  has  a  wider  range,  congregates 
numbers,  and  exhibits  more  activity,  than  any  other  of  the  Dolphin  famil; 
are  seen,  in  numbers  varying  from  a  dozen  up  to  many  hundreds,  tumb 
the  surface  of  the  sea,  or  making  arching  leaps,  plunging  again  on  the  sai 
or  darting  high  and  falling  diagonally  sidewise  upon  the  water,  with  £ 
splash,  accompanied  by  a  report  that  may  be  heard  at  some  distance, 
brisk  breeze  is  blowing  they  frequently  play  about  the  bow  of  a  ship  goir 
utmost  speed,  darting  across  the  cutwater  and  shooting  ahead,  or  circlin 
the  vessel,  apparently  sporting  at  ease.  In  calm  weather  they  are  someti 
in  immense  shoals,  leaping,  plunging,  lobtailing,  and  finning — in  fact,  exhi 
endless  variety  of  attitudes — and  at  the  same  time  the  whole  assembla] 
swiftly  in  various  directions,  as  if  enjoying  a  general  frolic. 

While  on  a  cruise  in  the  U.  S.  Revenue  cutter  Wayanda,  during  the  ] 
October,  1872,  we  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing,  at  midnight,  the  gamb 
immense  herd  of  these  active  and  rapacious  animal'^.  The  sea  was  quitt 
and  not  a  breath  of  wind  was  stirring.  At  first  v,  •  could  hear  a  harsh 
sound,  as  if  a  heavy  squall  of  wind,  accompanied  with  hail,  was  sweeping 
otherwise  tranquil  sea ;  and,  as  the  moon  burst  through  the  clouded  sky, 
see  a  sheet  of  foam  and  spray  surging  toward  us.  In  a  few  moments  t 
was  surrounded  by  myriads  of  these  Common  Porpoises,  which,  in  thei 
movements,  for  the  space  of  one  hour,  whitened  the  sea  all  around  as  fi 
eye  could  discern,  when  they  almost  instantly  disappeared. 

The  Striped  Porpoises  are  often  seen  in  considerable  numbers  about 
bays  and  lagoons  along   this  coast,   that  have  no  fresh  water  running  in 
They  abound  more  along  the  coasts  where  small  fish  are  found  than  in  m 


THE    DOLPHINS. 


n 


as  they  principally  prey  upon  the  smaller  finny  tribes ;  and  to  obtain  them  shoot 
swiftly  through  the  water,  seizing  the  object  of  pursuit  with  the  slightest  effort. 
Occasionally  a  large  number  of  them  will  get  into  a  school  of  fish,  frightening  them 
so  much  that  they  will  dart  around  in  all  directions,  taking  no  regular  course  to 
escape  their  pursuers,  and  finally  get  so  bewildered  as  to  lose  nearly  all  control 
over  their  movements.  At  such  times  the  Striped  Porpoise  is  manifestly  the  "sea 
swine,"  filling  itself  to  repletion. 

In  perfectly  calm  weather  they  are  sometimes  seen  huddled  together  on  the 
glaring  surface,  their  heads  slightly  raised,  or  reclining  a  little  on  their  sides,  as  if 
resting  from  their  constant  activity ;  but  such  instances  are  not  frequent.  Gener- 
ally they  are  seen  in  great  numbers  rushing  over  and  through  the  undulating  sea, 
exhibiting  their  active  habits  and  propensity  to  roam  over  an  unlimited  extent  of 
ocean. 


SECTIOX  VT.-BAIRD'S  DOLPHIN. 

Delphinvs   BAiBDn,    Dall.      (Plate   xix,    fig   1.) 

This  Dolphin  inhabits  the  Pacific  North  American  coast,  in  common  with  other 
varieties  which  abound  in  those  waters.  At  a  distance  it  much  resembles  the  Com- 
mon Porpoise  of  fishermen  and  sailors ;  but  it  differs  in  several  points  from  that 
species.  We  were  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  two  female  specimens  off  Point  Argu- 
ello,  in  the  fall  of  1872,  from  which  we  obtained  the  following  notes.  Apparently, 
both  individuals  were  adults,  and  nearly  the  same  size  and  weight.  The  body  of 
the  Ddphinus  Baird'd  is  more  slender,  and  its  snout  more  elongated  and  rounded, 
than  that  of  the  Striped  or  Common  Porpoise,  and  may  bo  compared  to  the  bill  of  a 
snipe.  Its  teeth  are  slender,  conical,  and  slightly  curved  inward.  Its  dorsal  fin  is 
more  erect  and  less  falcated  than  that  of  the  Lagenorhynchus  obliquidens,  while  the 
pectorals  are  nearly  of  the  same  shape  and  comparative  proportions ;  but  the  caudal 
fin  is  less  in  breadth,  and  greater  in  proportionate  expansion.  Its  back,  immediately 
forward  of  the  dorsal  fin,  is  somewhat  concave,  so  that  when  taking  a  side  view 
the  upper  contour  appears  lower  before  than  behind  the  fin.  Its  varied  colors 
are,  top  and  sides  of  head,  black ;  sides  of  body  behind  the  vent,  and  both  sides 
of  pectorals  and  flukes,  a  greenish  black ;  a  black  patch  around  the  eye,  with  a 
white  streak  passing  forward  above  the  mouth  ;  a  continuous  black  streak  from  the 
side  of  the  under  jaw  to  the  anterior  edge  of  the  pectorals ;  sides,  behind  the  eye, 
gray — the  upper  boundary  of  this  color  being  somewhat  above  the  plane  of  that 
organ,  beginning  to  curve  downward  just  behind  the  dorsal   fin,  and  meeting  both 


H 


100  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    CO. 

white  and  black  marks  between  the  vent  and  the  flukes,  in  or  near  th 
on  the  under  side  of  the  body ;  a  lanceolate  white  patch  extending  o 
side,  from  the  middle  of  the  under  jaw  to  the  anterior  angle  of  the  v 
row  white  strip  extending  from  the  corner  of  the  mouth  backward,  < 
slightly  arched  above  the  pectoral,  and  then  curving  downward  gradu 
meeting  below  in  the  region  of  the  vent.  Another,  still  narrower  a 
obscure,  starts  at  the  same  place  with  the  last,  but  is  soon  lost  in  th 
tral  patch  before  alluded  to.  Appended  are  the  dimensions,  in  feet  ai 
the  examples  above  mentioned : 

No.  1 

Total  length  of  animal 6  ' 

Anterior  edge  of  pectorals 1  ( 

Posterior  edge  to  angle  of  truncation 0  f 

Breadth  of  pectorals 0  c 

Expansion  of  flukes 1  ( 

Longitudinal  width 0  { 

Height  of  dorsal  fin 0  1 

Length  of  dorsal  fin  along  the  back 0  ( 

Tip  of  beak  to  anterior  edge  of  pectorals 1  { 

Tip  of  beak  to  anterior  edge  of  dorsal  fin 3  ( 

Tip  of  beak  to  corner  of  mouth 0  1] 

Tip  of  beak  to  eye 1  ] 

Tip  of  beak  to  spiracles 1  ! 

Width  of  spiracles 0  ] 

Notch  of  flukes  to  vent 1  i 

Notch  of  flukes  to  teats 1 

Length  of  vulva  and  genital  slit 0  '. 

Circumference  behind  pectorals 3  ] 

Circumference  at  genitalia 2  S 

Circumference  before  the  dorsal  fin 3  '. 

Height  from  eye  to  top  of  head  ( straight  line ) 0  i 

Height  from  eye  to  under  side  of  throat  ( straight  line ) 0  i 

Height  from  pectorals  to  top  of  back  ( straight  line ) 0  J 

Height  from  comer  of  mouth  to  top  of  head  (straight  line) 0  i 

Height  from  corner  of  mouth  to  underside  of  throat  (straight  line)...  0  < 

Height  of  small  close  to  the  flukes 0  < 

Centre  of  eye  to  ear  ( one  inch  below  eye ) 0  ' 

Weight  of  animals  (avoirdupois),  respectively,  one  hundred  and 
and  sixty -one  pounds;   weight  of  brain,  two  pounds. 

The  Ddphinua  Bairdii  may  be  considered  symmetrical   in   its  pro 
moves  through  the  water  with  great  swiftness  and  grace. 


^-"    #iiiff-<  .1  m* 


%i 


'/i 


iki 


# 


* 


"»*» 


M 


\ 


100.      ■;.';: /A r  .iuj/,^f.i^.:    i>f  Tin    vt.  ^  ■ . «  ^  ■> ?  ;:';^.y  coa.^t. 

V.-5.H.-  aT;d   l)lnok  ..■., ''ks  l»f'-ivf<-'»i  t'Sr   trii     ;      tin    rf   ■  •>•  '     '"ar  lie  mc'rii'l   lino 

•i.i  Thf  iiudev  side  (;f  tho  IxH'ly  ,  a  ].i.KNw';v'.  >»h  ^  ;  ■'•;'.}»«:,'  i.a  the-  A.'titril 
side,  froia  t'.i'  nu  !  Uo  o!'  (ho  itxl  r  jaw  i<'  f  ^n  ^  .  \-  f  On-  vulvti' ;  i  riar- 
i-iuv  v.hit  J*' rip  i;xteiv!iaj'  ft  ni\  fio  •■•'jrner  i  l"  sht  ^  :■  i  *•>  *;,^var.  ai  <w\\  sifle, 
pligt.rly  .n.'hti  ;i.}',.vc  Lh*'  pootonU,  .v\(\  ihon  ciin  i  .-  i  ,w  ,«>  *■;.;,  a!/  tlio  t^\o 
woot'u;;^  ljf?li.tw  it  lisif-  P(«i;ion  of  ill*''  vonr.  An(,>tl'-;  ^Jit  <.  •  ''■.  :  ^l  'Mioewtiat 
ob;--c.urr.    4arf:-  \4.  Ihe  »a.m<j  plac;  «'ui\   the  l.ist.   bn  <;u   ;->;»      •■'  :i         h    -  %cn* 

!n;\  (>;i«;'-i  "'•>»!»rt  adytlM  to.  Append";'.!  •  ro  tlie  ui-s  ■  »-.f,  in  '■•!■'.  ;>  '  "  -  c-? 
-I'.f-     fiwj    ;-N  ii&i-v  '  mentioned: 


r  -J  lc';i'i(tb    1?  ftii  mal ,    , .  

Air-T!or  »*1gp  rf  jwi-iml*  .... .    . 

l'i«;'ri'r  f<\;'i-  t.;  »urr!*  ■■?   trMUJftivj),  ,    .  *■ 

V■■:"^■^ltk    >i    \".-  f.>i:t»i'* t^ 

I'jj'r-'jt'i  >;»   :i>    f;i,,i.r:i.  .  .         . .  '  I        ! 

LjnsiluJin=U  ^i.ltk .....    ..  "15        ;"     / 

Heii;ht  of  .knval  u.i 0     V         t)     V 

LfDirMi  o'  d  na.:'.  tin  aloru   tli*.  btick ■ 0    hk      \     0 

lip  (.f  l.<  .'•  to  .interior  (•'\i!f  01  pcolorils 1     S         1     8 

Tip  .f  lA>ak  *i)  '.n'.<ivior  "  tro  nf  dfirs*l  'u:  ....  3    0        11 

i"J<    ''!     '■^r'i,     !.0     *■'■■■■  ■'         »• 

«;-.U:  ,-<■-=     ^     ■.• 

':  >     -v      ,    i,i  ■■.,-.^-~   ■        ,-..-      . 

';..■■£  .  .'.    y       !;'  «*    :v.i.-     ,>"^f-  .,.        '^  / 

C'ir  '.luii  «»r'.')^    \f*i,  If-     >-*''••»  -:»! 

I'.r.-  ..aifoifiv.'o  Ht.  ,;i    ii^;,!*  .  '      ;  ..       : 

Crcuuit  =rau«'-3  \ii.U<-c.  vbis  rv  n-^-.i   ri.  .'  i      ■ 
.'  'ifTLt  'I'jm  ovo  to  tt);')  i{  h  nd  ( .-it'-rvifrL;.  i,uh\                                                      ^  t,t 

Hi-i^'ul  ifOiil  eyP  to   i.  n.U.'   -iilc  nf  i'lm.  (st..'jii!.'W    ;.!■!■.  i  '       !. 

h.'-ii.:bt  .'n.j:.-  vtwtoial-  Iv'  tnf>  of  har.'n  (straifflM   iin- ;.  •  W 

li  i:  I    tr:>u    I'jrjj*:'  uf  lu.  i-.'!-  io  Vfp  of  ht'dd  (.itra\Hi^  Utt^-.-,  if  '.    4J 

t-  .:k%  '  ■  -.  ■;'>rf.  f  of  iii<.»it  .  to  i: utlei-ssdo  of   ihro.vt    in-vtit*'      j,:  '..:  <>    3 

'i  ■',  rti    if   ■.'iiUl  c!uH<.  i.<^  J.'    duko!' if  '»    4 

^\•   to  ei.-  (<...<.  ui''h  l«li)\v  tiyt) .,    .  .  ■      i  (i    2 


I '"*»        t  \ 


■ 

i">  .ri*  ii  '  limw' ^  I  .'.V  -irdnpoi»<),  rcp'^ctiTpU".  .v."  ^f--.*  ■  .'lu  i  oa"  hundred 
arrl  -.•  '        £•        •  i>-<iis      H»'gUE  of  b^iiiti.  two  })')!iRl*, 

'!';.,  f*;';-,-*.*;.-'-  •'if!''>/'.'.  in  ay  lie  d-nsider-d  .;;:'Ui.ij'f;'nc»;;  ■•  '■■f  rroportions.  It 
iri'ivi'^   il  .-nil'*-    *h      vft>-»i    1  ith  j'ri.-at  s^'if'.tio^s  a:.  I  ^rf.::(*. 


I 


Jam 


J 


^ 

^ 

< 

17) 

n 

-^ 

c: 

^ 

o 

■e 

U) 

^ 

>■= 


■  ~^ 

"y  S 

""o 

>.  -j^ 

i^    P^ 

;c 

QJ       C 

■<y  fu 

'0 

-J  s 

O!      ri 

— ^ 

■/:    a,- 

^50 

,^     5    Oh 


f^s 
^ 
i^ 


J 


THE    DOLPHINS.  jqj 


SECTION    VII.— THE    RIGHT   WHALE    PORPOISE. 

LEncoBHAMPHus  BOREALia,  Peak.     (Plate  six,  fig.  3.) 

The  Right  Whale  Porpoise  of  tlie  western  coast  of  North  America,  -in  habit 
and  form,  is  nearly  the  same  as  the  Right  Whale  Porpoise  of  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere {Tjmcorhamjphus  Peronii),  but  it  is  not  so  beautifully  marked,  in  vivid  con- 
trast, with  pure  white  and  jet  black,  as  the  latter;  the  former  being  black  above 
and  lighter  below,  with  but  little  cf  its  lower  extremities  banded  with  white  The 
LeucorMmj>hus  horeali,  is  not  usually  mot  with  in  large  numbers,  and  is  seldom  found 
m  shallow  bays  or  lagoons.  We  have  seen  them  as  far  south  as  San  Diego  Bay 
on  the  California  coast,  and  as  for  north  as  Behring  Sea;  showing  plainly,  that  the 
two  species  of  the  same  genus  have  a  feeding -ground  which  embraces  at  least  the 
western  coast  of  North  and  South  America. 

SECTION    YIII.— THE    COWFISH. 

TcBsiops  GiLLn,  Doll. 

This  porpoise  is  larger  than   the  Striped  or  the  Right  Whale  species,  and  is 
known    by  the  name   of  Cowfish.      It    is    longer    also    in    proportion    to    its   girth, 
and  is  snout  is  somewhat  contracted.     Its  teeth  are  much  larger,  straight,  conical 
and  sharply  pointed,  but  less  in  number.     A  specimer   taken  at  Monterey,  in  1871 

r!n  ^\  ^\'      '^^^Z.  '"""'^  '^'"  '^'"■"■'  "'   ^'"^"''   ''   ^^^°g  black  all  over,   lightened  a 
htt  e   below.      Tins   description    is    based    upon    two    momentary    observations -the 
first  at  San  Bar^.lome  Bay,  in    1853,  and   the  second  in  Ballenas  Lagoon,  in  1859 
The  habits  of  the  Cowfi.sl,  as  observed  on  the  coasts  of  California  and  Mexico,  are 
strikingly  chfferent  from  that  of  the  true  porpoises.     It  is  often  remarked  by  whale- 
uien  that  they  are  a  "mongrel  breed"  of  doub'Pul  character,  being  frequently  seen 
m  company  with  Blackfish,  sometimes  with  porpoises,  and  occasionally  with  Ilump- 
backs,  when  the  latter  are  found  in  large  numbers  on  an  abundant  feeding-ground 
They  are  met  with   likewise   in    the  lagoons  along   the  coast,  singly,  or  in  pairs,  o^ 
lu  fives  and  sixes-rarely  a  larger  number  together-straggling  about  in  a  vagrant 
manner  through   the  winding  estuaries,  subsisting  on   the  fish  that  abound   in  those 
circumscribed  waters.     At  times  they  are  seen  moving  lazily  along  under  the  shade 
of    the   mangroves    that    in   many    places    fringe    the   shores;    at   other    times    lying 
about  111  listless  attitudes  among  the  plentiful  supplies  of  food   surrounding  them 


ir 

t 


102  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


Approximate  Outmnrs  of  a  Cowfish. 


Approximate  Outlinf.s  of  a  Whitf.headeh  or  Mottli  i>  Grampus. 


Approximatk  Outlines  of  a  Bottlknosed  Grampus. 


Ai'PROXIMATK  OUTl.INKS  i}V  A   I'anama   Grampus. 


THE   DOLPHINS.  jQg 


GRAMPUSES. 

Of  this  group  of  the  Delphinid,^,  which  has  been  observed  along  the  Pacific 
North  American  Coast,  there  is  but  little  known ;  they  are  commonly  distinguished 
by  the  names  given  in  the  list  of  the  dolphins  found  upon  this  coast.  Our  per- 
sonal  knowledge  of  these  obscure  animals  is  so  limited  that  we  have  hesitated 
whether  or  not  to  mention  them;  but  after  due  consideration  we  submit  the  fol- 
lowmg  remarks: 

SECTION  IX.-TnE  WHITEHEADED  OR  MOTTLED  GRAMPUS. 

Ghampds  SiEABNan,  Dull. 

The  average  length  of  the  Whiteheaded  or  Mottled  Grampus  may  be  ten  feet 
is  muzzle  terminates  in  a  rounded   point,  and  very  nearly  resembles  that  of  the 

Wu^  .on^ruut.  Its  dorsal  fin  is  narrow,  quite  high,  and  slightly  falcated;  hence 
he  ammal  is  sometimes  taken  for  the  Orca  aier,  and  its  general  appearance  and 
movements  through  the  water  are  very  similar  to  those  of  that  animal.  Its  indi- 
.dual  marks  vary  more  than  any  other  species  of  the  toothed  whales  of  the  coast 
nnlo  the  preva.hng  color  is  very  dark,  approaching  to  black,  the  head  and  anterior 
ort.on    of  the    body-as   far   as   the   pectorals   in   some   examples-are  white,   in 

hers  ,  ,s  only  partially  so;  and  frequently  they  are  seen  more  or  less  mot  led 
h  hght  gray  to  the  region  of  the  dorsal  fin.  They  are  gregarious,  and  congre- 
xte  f  oquently  m  large  schools;  at  other  times  two  or  three,  or  even  a  solitarv 
>d.v.dual  will  be  met  with,  wandering  about  the  coast  or  up  ihe  bay:!  qut  f 
|od.  winch  consists  of  fish  and  several  varieties  of  cvustaceans.  It  is  rarely  taken 
1  It  IS  extremely  wild  and  shy.  '  ' 

SECTION  X.— THE  50TTLEtfOSED  ORAMPUS. 
ineoan,     I,    color  approaches  nearer  to  brown  than  black.    The  f.n  on  the  Lk 
d  placed  mnch  nearer  the  eandal  On  than  on  other  specie,  of  the  same  genus. 


'11 


104  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

The  name  "Bottlonose"  is  said  to   have  been  given   it  by  reason  of  the  head 
sembling  the  upper  portion  and  neck  of  a  junk-l)ottle  ;    if  so,  from  our  observat 
of  it   (which   was   many  times,  from   the  vessel's   deck   or   masthead),  in   its   dif 
cut  natural  positions,  the  bottle  must  have  been  one  witli  a  very  large  but  exec 
ingly  short  )  «  jk  ;   still    the  comparison   is  not,  perhaps,  inappropriate.      The  larj 
of  this  specii'J  are  not  less  than  twenty- five  foot  long,  and  otherwise  are  similai 
their  proportions  to  the  Blacklish.     The  head  appears  to  be  of  a  shape  between  t 
of  the   Globiocephalus   and  the  Phocceaa  vomerina,  having  a  short  rounded  beak.      ' 
habit?   of  the  Grampus   are  such  as  nearly  preclude  capture,  and  little  is  known 
its  peculiarities.     Two  or  three  are  generally  seen  together,  ''rounding"  to  go  d( 
as   soon    as    they   come    to    the    surface    of   the   water   and    spout,   and   when    ii 
rising   may  be  beyond  view.      An  exception  to  this,  however,  occurred  in  July 
August,  1856,  on   the   coast   between    Cape   St.    Lucas   and   Ccrros   Island,    at   wl 
time    we    saw    large    numbers    of    thorn    going    in    schools,    ten,    twenty,    or    tli 
together,   nearly   all    being   of   the   largest  growth  ;    their  actions  were   a   good   i 
tation    of    a    school    of    small    Cachalots  —  spouting    several    times    when    up, 
only    remaining    down    the    usual    time    of    Sperm   Whales    of    their    apparent    s 
Several   fruitless  trials  were  made  to  capture  one.      In   two   instances   the   harpo 
were    fastened   eifectually,   and   the   consequence   was   that   the   animals   immodiai 
went  down  with   great   velocity,  each  in  its  descent  taking  a  line  one  hundred 
fifty  fathoms  long,  almost  before   tlie  boats'  crews   knew  what  they  were   about. 
I  is    said,   however,    that    they   have   been    taken   with    comi)aratively   little    difficu 

I  where  the  boats  were  supplied  with   lines  upwards  of   three   hundred    fathoms  h 

I  Tlie    (lil    produced    by    the    liottlenose    is    reputed    to   be    equal    in   quality   to    i 

'  of  the  Sperm  Whale,  and  the  yield  is  in  a  similar  ratio  to  that  from  the  Black 

I  and  Killer. 

I 

,,  SECTION"  XI.-THH  PAXAMA  aUAMPUS. 

In  ^farch,   1853,  oil'  Panama  Bay,   (Hi  board    tlie  bark  HI)   O-mnrle,  we   capti 
what  were  supposed  to  be  two  small  Blackfish  ;    but,  on  making  an  examination 
was  decided  that  thoy  were  a  species  of  grampus.     Our  notes  are  as  follow : 
Lengtli  of  largest  specimen,  ten  feet.     Back  liu  [  laceil  as  ou  a  Blackfish. 
per  end  of  dorsal  more  pointed   than    that   of  the   (Hahiocephilus — the  ulmlo  liu 
very  nearly  the   form   of   that   of   the    Striped   or  Common   Porpoise.      Boiiy  lesi 
I  circumference    in   proportion    to   length    than   tiiat   of   I  he  Blacklish.      Form  of  1 

;  somewhat  pointed,   approaching   to  a   boak.     Color,  a   uniform  jet  black.      Avoi 


THE  DOLPUIKS.  ,„. 

105 

.hicknc,  of  blubber,  ab„„t  .„   i„eh  ;   its  color  i,  ,„i,e  red,  anc,  the  oil  roKtae,! 


SECTIO.Y  XII.-THE   PUGET  SOUND   GRAMPUS. 

In  Port  Townsend  Bay,  Washington  Te.ritory  June  19th    IRM   o 
of  small  whales,  ovulontlv   x  sno.in«     f  '  '  ^  ^''^''^  "-™^'^^ 

--  or  eight   individ     r  wl  ^"™'"'  "'""  ''"'  ^""^«'^"-  '"  ^^'^'^  <'f 

fin  was  nan-owor    v    v     2o        T  ,         "   ""'  ^^'   ''"'^   ^^^^^ '^    ^"^  ^'^  ^^--^ 

fom    .s   fluk  s       S    'u  '  '"'  ^'""^  ^'""*  ^"^^-^""^^^^  «^  ^'-  -'-l-s  length 

uuivos.      fro   fai    as  our  observations   go,    the   Piio-of    c;n„n,l    n 
not  numerous,  and  they  are  but  rarolv  «  ,      /  Grampuses   are 

w.r„  .b.ei, .  .Je„.xr:r:r  :^:;™^:r  °'^"^^'-'°° 

SECTION  Xin._THE- SAN  DIEGO  BAY  ORAMPUS. 

.ho,";:';:,;::; ;;;::  'rC'Tc^''"^  r ""°"  -'-'  --'-'-'^  - 
^™iy «...  „„,ri,  .,,0  „,„,  „  „„„„  „ ,,  '^zT'^:  r  n  T'""'"""' "' 

"""■'>  '"■  less  ,vl,ii,   b,.,,,.,ll,       I,    r    ,  ,  ,  "■  "  '''■"■■''  »'"'"'.  "'iU, 

tlH.r    ,„.o,.„,,i„„,,    „,„„,    „,„  ,v.,le,       '        ,     ■  '''"°      '"""  °' 

>""Vom.ut,  ],„vo  llm»  far  nrcclu,lo,l  cverv  ,  rr  '  '"'   '''^'""'"   "'"'    ''"I'M 


lOG  MARINE    MAMMAL3    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    CO. 


SECTIOX   XIV.— THE   SQUAREHEADED   GRAMPUS. 

The  conflicting  descriptions  given  of  this  animal  forbid  an  exaci 
Some  observers  say  it  has  nearly  the  form  of  the  Sperm  Whale — 
head,  which  is  square  and  extremely  bulky.  Others  aver  that  its  i 
"lays  low,"  terminates  in  a  short  beak,  with  a  high  .square  foreheac 
observations  have  been  confined  to  distant  views  of  them  from  1 
or  from  tlie  deck  ;  yet  thoy  liave  afforded  considerable  opportunity  ' 
movements,  wliicli  are  very  nearly  an  imitation  of  the  smaller  Sf 
Their  spouting  and  ''turning  of  flukes,"  which  are  performed  with 
regularity,  have  deceived  many  an  expert  whaleman,  and  repeatedly  tl 
l)een  lowered  in  pursuit  of  them,  the  animab:  having  been  mistakei 
lots.  The  Squareheadod  Crrampuses,  however,  frequently  remain  long 
underneath  the  surface  of  tlie  water  tluui  the  Sperm  Whales,  and  sol 
go  in  largo  schools,  as  do  tlie  Cachalots  and  lilackflsh.  In  this 
have  more  the  iiabit.s  of  the  Orcas.  They  are  said  to  yield  a  suf 
of  oil,  but  in  small  quantity,  compared  to  their  size. 


SECTION   XV.— THE   BROWNSIDED   DOLPHIN   OF  SANTA  B 

CHANxXEL. 

Although  the  knowledge  wo  possess  of  this  dolphin  is  very  me 
discovered  the  animal  after  the  natural  history  part  of  this  work  h 
pared  for  the  press  —  still  it  is  thought  advisable  to  submit  a  doscrip 
brief  it  may  be.  While  lying  at  anchor  ofl'  the  town  of  Santa  Ikrbai 
1873,  a  school  of  what  we  took  to  bo  the  Striped  or  Common  P 
soon  playing  around  the  vessel.  Their  irregular  movements,  and  the  u 
of  time  they  remained  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  afl'ordod  an  o 
study  them.  Their  forms  wore  apparently  the  sanio  as  that  cf  th 
Common  Porpoi.so,  except  tliat  the  dorsal  fin  is  of  the  triangular  sli 
present  witii  Ikird's  Dolphin,  and  the  color  on  its  sides  is  brown,  w 
is  of  a  dull  l)la('k  ,  hence  it  has  been  given  the  provisional  name  o 
Hided  Dolplr  ..  Willi  regard  to  the  habits  of  the  animal,  wo  observed 
feature:  that  of  darting  through  the  thick  beds  of  kelp  whi(di  front 
Really  they   seemed   to  dolight  in  sporting  among  it,   and   occasionall 


THE    DOLPHINS. 


107 


band  would  be  scon  leaping  clear  of  the  water,  taking  with  it  long  sprays  of  the 
fucus.  All  our  efforts  to  capture  one  proved  unavailing ;  but  enough  was  seen  to 
convince  us  that  they  were  an  undescribed  ppecios. 


SECTION   XVI.— THE   XARWHAL. 

MONODON     MONOCEROS,    LijlH. 

Although  the  Narwhal  is  but  rarely  mot  with  in  that  part  of  the  Arctic  Ocean 
accessible  to  the  whalemen  who  pass  through  IJehring  Strait,  yet,  boj'ond  question, 
it  is  an  occasional  visitor  to  those  icy  waters,  and  even  to  the  neighboring  shores 
of  eastern  Siberia.  We  have  it  authentically  stated  by  a  trader  and  traveler  in 
Siberia,  that  the  aborigines  of  tliat  frozen  coast  have  a  superstitious  dread  of  the 
casual  visits  of  tiio  Narwhal,  and  when  one  is  soon  by  a  single  native,  it  is  regarded 
as  an  ill  omen,  and  the  beholder  either  immediately  puts  an  end  to  his  existence, 
or  he  becomes  a  prey  to  evil  forebodings,  which  ultimately  bring  tlie  poor  victim 
to  an  untimely  end.  The  tusks  of  the  Narwiial  have  been  exchanged  in  barter  by 
the  inhabitants  of  that  portion  of  north-eastern  Asia  bordering  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
and,  as  articles  of  traffic,  have  passed  from  one  party  to  another,  till  they  have 
finally  reached  the  trading- posts  on  the  northern  shores  of  the  Okhotsk  Sea.  Cap- 
tain Arnold,  who  was  engaged  in  a  trading  expedition  from  San  Francisco  to  the 
Okhotsk  coast,  in  18G8,  obtained  at  Tavisk  I5ay  a  very  fine  tusk  of  a  Narwhal, 
which  measured  eight  feet  in  length,  including  the  root,  which  was  fifteen  inches. 
The  tusk  at  its  base  was  seven  and  a  half  inches  in  circumforonco,  and  tapering 
to  its  extremity,  where  its  diameter  was  one- half  of  an  inch.  From  its  junction 
with  the  head,  its  whitish  and  polished  surface  exhibits  a  uniform  twist,  which 
adds  much  to  its  symmetrical  beauty.  Relative  to  the  natural  history  of  the  Nar- 
whal, we  can  state  nothing  from  our  own  observations,  but  make  tlio  following 
extracts  from  Codmaii's  monograph  of  the  animal,  which  is  based  entirely  upon  tlie 
observations  of  the  renowiiod  Scoresby  :  "The  Narwhal,  when  fully  grown,  measures 
from  thirteen  to  fourteen  feet  in  length,  exclusive  of  the  tusk,  and  at  the  thickest 
part,  which  is  two  feet  behind  the  fins,  the  circumference  is  about  eight  or  nine 
feet.  The  part  of  the  body  interior  to  the  liiis  luul  liead  is  paraboloidiil ;  tho 
middle  portion  of  tho  body  is  almost  cylindrical  ;  the  posterior  portion,  to  within 
tiu'ee  or  four  feet  of  the  tail,  is  somewhat  conical  ;  thence  a  ridge,  commencing 
both  at  the  back  and  belly;  the  section  becomes  lirst  an  ellipse,  and  then  a  rhom- 
bus at  tlic  junction  of  the  tail.     Tho  back  and   belly  ridges  run  iialf-way  or  more 


A 


108  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAS 

across  tlio  tail ;  the  ridges  of  the  tail  run  the  same  way  along  the  bod}' 
ridges  on  the  sides  of  the  rump.  The  back  appears  depressed  and  fla 
four  feet  posterior  to  the  neck.  The  head  forms  about  one- seventh  of 
length  of  the  animal,  being  small,  blunt,  and  round.  The  mouth  is 
incapable  of  much  extension,  having  a  wedge-shaped  under  lip.  The  eye 
one  inch  in  their  largest  diameter,  and  are  placed  on  a  lino  with  the 
the  mouth  at  about  thirteen  inches  from  the  snout.  The  opening  c 
situated  six  inches  behind  the  eye  on  the  same  horizontal  lino,  is  of  th 
of  a  small  knitting-needle.  The  spiracle,  or  blow- hole,  is  situated  immed 
the  eyes,  and  is  a  singular  semicircular  opening  about  three  and  one-hal 
diameter,  and  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length.  The  fins  are  tAvelve  c 
inches  long,  and  six  or  eight  broad,  and  placed  at  one- fifth  of  the  len 
animal  from  the  snout.  Whore  fixed  to  the  body,  the  fin  is  elliptical.  Ir 
Narwhal,  the  ground  is  wholly  white,  with  dark -gray  or  blackish  spo 
spots  are  of  a  roundish  or  oblong  form  ;  on  the  back,  where  they  sold 
two  inches  in  diameter,  they  are  the  darkest  and  most  crowded  togethei 
sides  these  spots  are  fainter,  smaller,  and  more  open.  On  the  boU^ 
extremely  faint  and  few.  A  close  patch  of  brownish -black,  without  an 
often  found  on  the  upper  part  of  the  nock,  just  behind  the  blow- hole.  ' 
Narwhals  are  almost  uniformly  of  a  bUiish-gray,  or  slate  color.  Very  o 
uals  become  almost  white.  The  remarkable  peculiarity  of  the  Narwhal  : 
spiral,  ivory  tusk,  which  grows  from  the  left  side  of  the  inferior  port 
upper  jaw,  sometimes  to  the  length  of  ten  feet  or  more.  This  tusk  ii 
covered  with  a  dark,  greasy  incrustation  above,  while  below  and  at  the 
kept  white  by  use.  In  addition  to  this  external  tusk,  peculiar  to  the  i 
is  another  on  the  right  side  of  the  head,  about  nine  inches  long,  imbed 
skull.  In  females,  as  well  as  in  young  males,  in  which  the  tooth  docs 
externally,  the  rudi'^vjuts  of  two  tusks  are  generally  found  in  the  upper 
The  food  of  the  Narwhal  is  said  to  consist  of  molluscous  animals, 
times  fish,  although  the  creature  is  destitute  of  teeth  exclusive  of  its  i\ 
Narwiial  is  considered  a  harmless  animal,  but  active  and  possessed  of  c 
swiftness ;  yet,  when  on  the  surface  of  the  water  for  the  purpose  of  res 

*  Scorcsby,  in  his  Grecnlan'l  voyage,  killed  a  of  conical  form  and  obliquely  trur 

female   Narwhal   ha^^nf,'   an   external   horn    four  thickest   end,   and  without  the  kn( 

feet  three  inches  long,  twelve  inches  of  which  many  of  the  milk -tusks.     The  hori 

were  imbedded    in  the    skull.      It   had    also,    as  left  side  of   tlio  head,  and  the  spi 

usual,  a  milk-tusk  nine  inches  long,  which  was  trorsal. 


THE  DOLPHINS. 


100 


frequently  lies  motionless  for  several  minutes.  The  Xarwhal  is  captured  by  shooting 
It  w.th  a  ride  or  it  is  taken  with  the  harpoon  and  lance,  as  are  other  whales. 
The  blubber  of  tlie  body  yiekls  a  fnie  quality  of  oil.  The  Greenlanders  and  Esqui- 
maux utilize  the  whole  creature.  The  flesh  is  devoured  as  excellent  food-  the  oil 
IS  burned  in  their  moss  lamps;  the  intestines  are  manufactured  into  lines  and 
garments;  and  the  tusks  are  flishioned  into  spears  and  other  weapons 


PART    II. 


P  I  N  N  I  P  E  D  I  A . 


•      . 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


k 


/. 


A 


4t 


1.0 


I.I 


^123    |2.5 

1.8 


us 


Wtau 


IL25  i  1.4 


M 


1.6 


^ 


<^ 


% 


-^^^^ 


%     > 


vV^ 


^ 


om 


HiotDgiaphic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


4 


\ 


as  WBST  MAIN  S?it?2i 

WHSYIR.N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  172-4903 


'^<  ^; 


PART  II.— PINNIPEDIA. 


INTRODUCTION. 

A  VARiETT  of  marine  animals  inhabit  the  western  coast  of  North  America  which 
are  scientifically  classed  under  the  head  of  Pinnipedia,  but  familiarly  known  under 
the  general  name  of  Seals.  Those  described  in  the  following  monograph  are  enu- 
merated, and  their  technical  names  given,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  catalogue  appended 
to  this  work. 

All  the  pinnipedes  periodically  inhabit  both  the  water  and  the  land  adjacent. 
Their  food  consists  of  fish,  crustaceans,  and  various  other  marine  invertebrates 
found  about  the  shores,  and  of  sea- fowls.  All  the  different  species  of  pinnipedes 
bring  forth  and  suckle  their  young  in  a  similar  manne;  to  other  mammals.  The 
general  form  of  the  animal  is  elongated,  with  quite  full  anterior  proportions, 
exclusive  of  the  head  and  neck.  The  posterior  part  of  the  body  is  tapering,  and 
terminates  at  the  junction  with  the  hind  limbs.  Their  appendages  for  locomotion 
are  commonly  called  flippers.  The  anterior,  or  side  ones,  nearly  correspond  to  the 
fore  limbs  of  carnivorous  animals ;  and,  in  some  species,  they  take  closely  the  form 
of  the  pectorals  of  Cetaceans.  Where  one  set  of  flippers  is  furnished  with  claws, 
or  nails,  the  other  is  nearly  or  quite  destitute  of  them ;  and,  whether  it  be  the 
anterior  or  posterior  members  which  are  thus  armed,  it  is  these  of  which  the 
animal  principally  makes  use  in  its  movements  upon  the  land.  These  flippers  are 
very  flexible,  and  seem  much  better  suited  for  propulsion  in  the  water  chiin  for 
terrestrial  locomotion.  The  body  of  the  animal  is  usually  covered  with  short 
and  bristly  hair ;  but  in  some  few  species  their  inner  coating  is  a  thick,  rich 
fur,  with  long,  glistening  hairs  over  all.  The  geographical  distribution  of  the 
pinnipedes  is  unlimited,  the  family  being  distributed  in  difiprent  groups  over  every 
iiono  and  both  hcmisphcrea. 

llABiiiaIi*nuu.-Mw  tWI 


small  •  while  ia  another  posture  the  creature  seems  distorted  into  a  swollen  form 
throughout.  Hence  we  shall  introduce  a  few  illustrative  figures  in  addition  to  the 
p  ites  which  represent  the  general  forms  of  these  animals. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE    SEA    ELEPHANT. 

Maoeobhinot  ANOusTmosTBis,  GUI.     (Plate  xx,  fig.  1,  2.) 

Among  the  varieties  of  marine  mammals  which  periodically  resort  to  the  land, 
no  one  attains  such  gigantic  proportions  as  tae  Sea  Elephant.  This  animal,  which 
was  sometimes  called  the  Elephant  Seal,  and  known  to  the  old  Californians  as  the 
m/ante  marino,  had  a  geographical  distribution  from  Cape  Lazaro,  latitude  24°  46' 
north,  longitude  112«  20'  west,  to  Point  Reyes,  latitude  38°  north,  longitude 
122=  58'  west  on  the  coast  of  California ;  and,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  we  have 
no  authentic  accounts  of  this  species  of  amphibious  animal  being  found  elsewhere 
in  the  northern  hemisphere.  At  the  south,  however,  about  Patagonia,  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  and  numerous  islands  in  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  and  the  Crozets 
Kerguolen,  and  Herd's  Islands,  in  the  high  latitudes  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  have 
been  pomts  where  the  Sea  Elephants  have  gathered  ^n  almost  incredible  numbers 
and  where  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them  have  been  slain  by  the  seamen,  pursuing 
then-  prey  in  those  distant  regions. 

The  sexes  vary  mi-ch  in  size,  the  male  being  frequently  triple  the  bulk  of  the 
female;  the  oldest  of  the  former  will  average  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet;  the  lo-gest 
wo  have  ever  seen  measured  twcnty-two  feet  from  tip  to  tip.  The  following  meas- 
urements (m  feet  and  inches)  and  notes  were  taken  of  two  large  females  and 
new-born  pup,  obtained  on  the  coast  of  Lower  California: 


one 


Lengtli  from  tip  to  tip 

Round  the  body  behind  fore  flippers 5  lo      "fi    9 


Ko.  I.         No.  a. 

9    0      10    0 


Length  of  tail . 

0    2       0    2J 


Q       <2  Q       01 

Breadth  of  tail  at  root 


Length  of  posterior  flippers -  „ 

Expansiuu  of  posterior  flippers ,  o 

Length  of  fore  flippers 

Width  of  foro  flippers q  0 

(lUJ 


116  MABINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE  NOBTH-WESTEBN   COAST. 

No.  I.  No.  9. 

Bound  extremity  of  body  at  root  of  tail 16  17 

From  tip  of  nose  to  comer  of  mouth 0    7  0    8 

Opening  of  mouth 0    4|  0    4^ 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0    8  0    9 

From  tip  of  nose  to  fore  flippers 2    7  3    0 

Length  of  fissure  between  the  eye  lids 0    0  0    If 

Nev-bocn  Pop. 

Length  from  tip  to  tip 4  0 

Length  of  posterior  flippers 0  1\ 

Length  of  fore  flippers 0  7 

Breadth  of  fore  flippers 0  2 J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  side  flippers 1  6 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0  4 

From  eye  to  ear  (the  minute  opening  of  which  is  barely  perceptible) 0  2 

From  tip  of  nose  to  comer  of  mouth 0  4^ 

Opening  of  mouth 0  3 

The  posterior  flippers  of  the  Sea  Elephant  are  very  nearly  like  those  of  the 
Leopard  Seal,  except  that  they  are  clawless.  The  fore  flippers,  however,  are  fur- 
nished each  with  Ave  nails,  which,  in  shape,  somewhat  resemble  those  of  the  human 
hand,  but  in  color  they  are  a  dull  black ;  the  longest  in  the  two  adult  examples 
examined  measured  one  and  a  half  inches.  The  two  teats  of  the  smaller  animal 
were  twenty  inches  from  the  posterior  termination  of  the  body.  In  the  larger  one 
they  were  two  feet  and  three  inches  from  the  root  of  the  tail,  which  is  extremely 
short  and  pointed.  The  whiskers  on  each  side  of  the  face,  in  both  specimens, 
numbered  from  thirty -five  to  forty,  the  longest  of  which  were  seven  inches;  their 
color  was  of  a  dark  brown  tipped  with  a  lighter  shade.  Eight  or  ten  bribtle-like 
hairs  were  present  upon  or  near  the  upper  lid  of  the  eye,  and  constituted  the  eye- 
brows. The  pup,  whose  measurements  are  given  above,  had  forty -six  whiskers  on 
one  side  of  its  face,  and  forty -two  on  the  other,  and  ten  frizzly  hairs  over  each 
eye.     Its  color  was  a  dark  brown,  or  nearly  a  chestnut  shade. 

The  color  of  the  adult  Sea  Elephant  is  a  light  brown,  when  its  thin  short  hair 
is  grown  to  full  length ;  but,  immediately  after  shedding,  it  becomes  like  that  of 
the  land  elephant,  or  of  a  bluish  cast.  The  average  thickness  of  its  skin  is  fully 
equal  to  that  of  the  largest  bullock.  A  fat  bull,  taken  at  Santa  Barbara  Island,  by 
the  brig  Mary  Helen,  in  1852,  was  eighteen  feet  long,  and  yielded  two  hundred  and 
ten  gallons  of  oil.  Round  the  under  side  of  the  neck,  in  the  oldest  males,  the 
animal  appears  to  undergo  a  change  with  age ;  the  hair  falls  off*,  the  skin  thickens 
and   bocomea  wrinkled — the    fUrrowa  crosaing  each   other,  producing  a  checkered 


•tm^l^^^ 


*f"  ■"■"»*■■. "Ilk  ivm^f^mmm^mmm' 


^W 


Plate  .::x. 


•«?fe«*- 


^.r  .  5 ^' i7 rn /n p/i     aV/ 


EA-KLt'.PHANT.  i  MACRORHIMUP    ANOUSTIROSTKIS.!     GlI.L. 


1       M  A  L  F.  .     2       >■   E   M  .^  '-ir. 


tIKA-LloIl    lEUMETCPU?   HTELLKRi.j  Gill 

1     MA^t.a      FEMALE. 


'  rJPHANT. 


m 


upper  4 

**!«  It;}-' 


.  'jit,   iA>fS*  ttiujigij. 

•     '    v.'eth  riiailar  to  . 

'  -t'.    nf't\yeeB  extremir 

•uo  commou  \..-. 

7 


wofo  or  less  marked  with  nrfaJH:  spote.  Its 
wi^Ie  of  the  Hicuth  forward  i^m  the  larger 
.  «;rt.uture  is  jji  &  state  of  quk-tude,  m<\  the 
'^1  the  mami  mkm  sm  ewit-ed  i-espitation, 
(Lu  r[df;e#  ftt^jriv  disftppenr.  The  mouth  is 
•  lUe  asa  hmn.  The  aU.»it  femalea  averago  tun 
<-y  »m  'Mt^tUkii  yf  the  proboscis,  tho  nose  bo- 

'''■*  *»^^*'  '^^^f^  tL..  lytmth.     Their  oaruiio 

i:«j-ger  ftt  ilw  U'^e,  and  hollow  nerirly 
■    tV  S..a  l:.f  j;h&nt  grounds,  iv.t  huvitig 
'        '    »'>«  (j'lilis  or  leg  bones 
'    '       Slows. 

I   tii«  foaming 
'>r,«>rrfc  lions 


•■,  or   ■  low-(Wfw, 
'■■%  »    active  on 

JSKttiniiH    8r.v 

*  -ating  gvut,  tti,,' 
'^adiug  f\mr  u 
4  «H»tid,  fi%' 
The  pnii 

■*^d   tbiir  .   > 
•■,  mrclv   i     .      ^ 

,.1.  ,.i     :         .    , 


:i\r^ 


•".       t)(< 

ooiitiit-.b 


-^    nanner  thor  WiHild  a5c<^,]   the 
•igregnting  l.y  hundreds,      ffer-v 
excited   to   inordiuaty      ,W*,,,^^ 
■ring   with    thoir   o/,t 
-  .ifessliug  1,'rout.  ftittjjijie 
?.  utd  tliom  i.ui  br.keii  *»•'. 

.    more,  ai'e.  wlien   they  aj^   r\  «   ,., 

■He  Bcasona  for  "haul^^  j^.  &  . 
jnt  ps^rioda  ajig  kuamp  ®eB,.i4j,  ,4,,,, 
■bull  imd  M^-,-  »«4 -*l|»n.j,  ^.4 

■  ''ti  the  iiiJimia,.v.  „(  cljm;  • 

^i  their  jajotliw*  »4  t^u 

^  may  ^.miUy  hwe  dyi*«a 


^iijwim"""'"" 


'I  ■^. 


,\ 


■■/..^i 


0' 


5r' 


'ii^ij*  '*y-- 


'f: 


f'f  '■ 


-oil 


.*«*"' 


#* 


THE   SEA    ELEPHANT.  117 

surface — and  sometimes '  the  throat  is  more  or  less  marked  with  white  spots.  Its 
proboscis  extends  from  opposite  the  angle  of  the  mouth  forward  (in  the  larger 
males)  about  fifteen  inches,  when  the  creature  is  in  a  state  of  quietude,  and  the 
upper  surface  appears  ridgy ;  but  when  the  animal  makes  an  excited  respiration, 
the  trunk  becomes  more  elongated,  and  the  ridges  nearly  disappear.  The  mouth  is 
furnished  with  teeth  similar  to  those  of  the  Sea  Lion.  The  adult  females  average  ten 
feet  in  length  between  extremities.  They  are  destitute  of  the  proboscis,  the  nose  be- 
ing like  that  of  the  common  seal,  but  projecting  more  over  the  mouth.  Their  canine 
teeth  are  shorter,  smoother  below  the  sockets,  larger  at  the  base,  and  hollow  nearly 
to  the  upper  point.  The  sailors  on  a  voyage  to  the  Sea  Elephant  grounds,  not  having 
a  supply  of  tobacco  pipes,  made  them  of  these  teeth,  and  the  quills  or  leg  bones 
of  the  pelican ;  the  former  furnishing  the  bowls,  and  the  latter  the  stems. 

The  habits  of  the  huge  beasts,  when  jn  shore,  or  loitering  about  the  foaming 
breakers,  are  in  many  respects  like  those  of  the  Leopard  Seals.  Our  observations 
on  the  Sea  Elephants  of  California  go  to  show  that  they  have  been  found  in  much 
larger  numbers  from  February  to  June  than  during  other  months  of  the  year ;  but 
more  or  less  were  at  all  times  found  on  shore  upon  their  favorite  beaches,  which 
were  about  the  islands  of  Santa  Barbara,  Cerros,  Guadalupe,  San  Bonitos,  Nativi- 
dad,  San  Roque,  and  Asuncion,  and  some  of  the  most  inaccessible  points  on  the 
main -land  between  Asuncion  and  Cerros.  When  coming  up  out  of  the  water,  they 
were  generally  first  seen  near  the  line  of  surf;  then  crawling  up  by  degrees,  fre- 
quently reclining  as  if  to  sleep ;  again,  moving  up  or  along  the  shore,  appearing 
not  content  with  their  last  resting-place.  In  this  manner  they  would  ascend  the 
ravines,  or  "low-downs,"  half  a  mile  or  more,  congregating  by  hundreds.  They 
are  not  so  active  on  land  as  the  seals ;  but,  when  excited  to  inordinate  exertion, 
their  motions  are  quick  —  the  whole  body  quivering  with  their  crawling,  semi- 
vaulting  gait,  and  the  animal  at  such  times  manifesting  great  fatigue.  Notwith- 
standing their  unwieldiness,  we  have  sometimes  found  them  on  broken  and  elevated 
ground,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  principal  seasons  of  their  coming  on  shore,  are,  when  they  are  about  to 
shed  their  coats,  when  the  females  bring  forth  their  young  (which  is  one  at  a 
time,  rarely  two),  and  the  mating  season.  These  seasons  for  "hauling  up"  are 
more  marked  in  southern  latitudes.  The  diflerent  periods  are  known  among  the 
hunters  as  the  "pupping  cow,"  "brown  cow,"  "bull  and  cow,"  and  "March  bull" 
seasons ;  but  on  the  Califv)rnia  coast,  either  from  the  influence  of  climate  or  some 
other  cause,  we  have  noticed  young  pups  with  their  mothers  at  quite  the  opposite 
months.     The  continual  hunting  of  the  animals  may  possibly  have  driven  them  to 


if 


118  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

irregularities.  The  time  of  gestation  is  supposed  to  be  about  three -fourths  of  the 
year.  The  most  marked  season  we  could  discover  was  that  of  the  adult  males, 
which  shed  their  coats  later  than  the  younger  ones  and  the  females.  Still,  among 
a  herd  of  the  largest  of  those  fully  matured  (at  Santa  Barbara  Island,  in  June, 
1852),  we  found  several  cows  and  their  young,  the  latter  apparently  but  a  few 
days  old. 

When  the  Sea  Elephants  come  on  shore  for  the  purpose  of  "shedding,"  if  not 
disturbed  they  remain  out  of  water  urtil  the  old  hair  falls  oflF.  By  the  time  this 
change  comee  about,  the  animal  is  supposed  to  lose  half  its  fat ;  indeed,  it  some- 
times becomes  very  thin,  and  is  then  called  a  "slim-skin." 

In  the  stomach  of  the  Sea  Elephant  a  few  pebbles  are  found,  which  has  given 
rise  to  the  saying  that  "they  take  in  ballast  before  going  down"  (retiu-ning  to  the 
sea).  On  warm  and  sunny  days  we  have  watched  them  come  up  siugly  on  smooth 
beaches,  and  burrow  in  the  dry  sand,  throwing  over  their  backs  the  loose  particles 
that  collect  about  their  fore  limbs,  and  nearly  covering  themselves  from  view ;  but 
when  not  disturbed,  the  animals  follow  their  gregarious  propensity,  and  collect  in 
large  herds. 

The  mode  of  capturing  them  is  thus :  the  sailors  get  between  the  herd  and 
the  water ;  then,  raising  all  possible  noise  by  shouting,  and  at  the  same  time  flour- 
i!<hing  clubs,  guns,  and  lances,  the  party  advance   slowly  toward  the  rookery,  when 


^^»  ■^,-,..^«-^^3^^ii^.«AW^ 


Club  and  Lakce  used  in  the  CAPrnitk  of  the  Sea  Elephant. 

the  animals  will  retreat,  appearing  in  a  state  of  great  alarm.  Occasionally  an  over- 
grown male  will  giv<>  battle,  or  attempt  to  escape;  but  a  musket -ball  through  the 
brain  dispatches  it ;  or  some  one  checks  its  progress  by  thrusting  a  lance  into  the 
roof  of  its  mouth,  which  causes  it  to  settle  on  its  haunches,  when  two  men  with 
heavy  oaken  clubs  give  the  creature  repeated  blows  about  the  head,  until  it  is 
stunned  or  killed.  After  securing  those  that  are  disposed  to  show  resistance,  the 
party  rush  on  the  main  body.  The  onslaught  creates  such  a  panic  among  these 
peculiar  creatures,  that,  losing  all  control  of  their  actions,  they  climb,  roll,  and 
tumble  over  each  other,  when  prevented  from  farther  retreat  by  the  projecting 
cliffs.  We  recollect  in  one  instance,  where  sixty -five  were  captured,  that  several' 
were  found  showing  no  signs  of  having  been  either  clubbed  or  lanced,  but  were 


THE   SEA    ELEPHANT.  119 

smothered  by  numbers  of  their  kind  heaped  upon  them.  The  whole  flock,  when 
attacked,  manifested  alarm  by  their  peculiar  roar,  the  sound  of  which,  among  the 
largest  males,  is  nearly  as  loud  as  the  lowing  of  an  ox,  but  more  prolonged  in  one 
strain,  accompanied  by  a  rattling  noise  in  the  throat.  The  quantity  of  blood  in 
this  species  of  the  seal  tribe  i_  supposed  to  be  double  that  contained  in  an  ox,  in 
proportion  to  its  size. 

After  the  capture,  the  flaying  begins.  First,  with  a  large  knife,  the  skin  is 
ripped  along  the  upper  side  of  the  body  its  whole  length,  and  then  cut  down  as  fur 
as  practicable,  without  rolling  It  over ;  then  the  coating  of  fat  that  lies  between 
the  skin  and  flesh — which  may  b^»  from  one  to  seven  inches  in  thickness,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  and  condition  of  the  animal — is  '•'*  into  "horse -pieces,"  about 
eight  inches  wide,  and  twelve  to  fifteen  long,  and  a  puicture  is  made  in  each  piece 
suflSciently  large  to  pass  a  rope  through.  After  flen?in^  the  upper  portion  of  the 
body,  it  is  rolled  over,  and  cut  all  around,  as  alv  "c  de'<:ribed.  Then  the  "horse- 
pieces"  are  strung  on  a  raft-roie  (a  rope  three  fathoij;s  long,  with  an  eye -splice 
in  one  rriV,  and  taken  to  the  edge  of  the  surf;  a  loii^  line  is  made  fast  to  it, 
the  end  of  which  is  thrown  to  a  boat  lying  just  outside  of  the  breakers ;  they  are 
then  hauled  through  the  rollers  and  towed  to  the  vessel,  where  the  oil  is  tried 
out  by  boiling  the  blubber,  or  fat,  in  large  pots  set  in  a  brick  furnace  for  the 
purpose.  The  oil  produced  is  superior  to  whale  oil  for  lubricating  purposes.  Ow- 
ing to  the  contmual  pursuit  of  the  animals,  they  have  become  nearly  if  not  quite 
extinct  on  the  California  coast,  or  the  few  remaining  have  fled  to  some  unknown 
point  for  security. 

Thus  far,  we  have  been  writing  of  the  Sea  Elephant  and  manner  of  capturing 
it  on  the  islands  and  coasts  of  the  Californias ;  and,  although  thousands  of  the 
animals,  in  past  years,  gathered  upon  the  shores  of  the  islands  contiguous  to  the 
coast,  as  well  as  about  the  pebbly  or  sandy  beaches  of  the  peninsula,  affording  full 
cargoes  to  the  oil-  ships,  yet  their  numbers  were  but  few,  when  compared  with  the 
multitudes  which  once  inhabited  the  remote,  desolate  islands,  or  places  on  the 
main,  within  the  icy  regions  of  the  southern  hemisphere ;  and  even  at  the  expense 
of  digression,  we  have  thought  it  well  to  give  an  account  of  the  animal  in  those 
regions.  Several  geographical  points  have  already  been  mentioned,  and  among  these 
Kerguelen  Land,  or  Desolation  Island,  and  Herd's  Island,  are  the  great  resort- 
ing-places  of  these  animals  at  the  present  day.  The  last-named  place  is  in  latitude 
53®  03'  south,  and  longitude  72'  30'  to  73"  30'  east.  Its  approximate  extent  is 
sixty  miles.  Its  shores  are  somewhat  bold,  broken,  and  dangerous  to  land  upon ; 
no  harbor  being  found   that  is  secure  for  the  smallest  vessel.     In   the  smoothest 


1 


120  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE    lORTH-WESTEBN   COAST. 

time/  when  landing,  the  boat's  crew  are  obliged  to  jump  into  the  water,  to  hold  and 
steady  the  boat,  that  it  may  not  be  staved  on  the  beach,  or  swept  out  by  the  reced- 
ing undertow.  In  fact,  a  heavy  surge  always  beats  upon  those  frozen,  rock -bound 
shores,  varied  only  by  the  combing  seas,  that  dart  higher  yet  up  the  precipitous 
cliffs,  when  urged  on  by  the  oft -repeated  gales  that  sweep  over  the  southern  por- 
tions of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Captain  Cook,  the  celebrated  explorer,  on  his  voyages  of  discovery  in  the  ^es- 
olution,  when  he  visited  Kerguelen  Land,  called  it  the  Island  of  Desolation,  on 
account  of  its  barren  and  uninhabitable  appearance,  although  it  possessed  flne  har- 
bors, where  the  hardy  mariner  could  rest  securely  with  his  ship  during  the  violent 
winter  storms.  But  not  so  at  Herd's  Island.  The  Sea  Elephant  oil -ship,  breasting 
the  changing  winds  and  waves  to  procure  a  cargo,  is  officered  by  the  most  fearless 
and  determined  men,  who  have  had  experience  in  whaling,  sealing,  or  Sea  Elephant 
hunting  in  those  rough  seas.  The  majority  of  the  men  are  shipped  at  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Island  ■«,  they  being  of  a  muscular  race,  who  have  proved  themselves  to  be 
excellent  hands  for  the  laborious  work.  The  ship,  when  first  sent  out,  is  provided 
with  a  "double  crew,"  and  is  accompanied  by  a  small  vessel,  of  a  hundred  tons  or 
less,  for  a  "tender."  On  arriving  at  the  island,  the  ship  is  moored  with  heavy 
chains  and  anchors,  and  every  other  preparation  is  made  for  riding  out  any  gale 
that  may  blow  toward  the  land.  The  sails  are  unbent,  all  the  spars  above  the  top- 
masts are  sent  down,  and,  with  the  spare  boats,  arc  landed  and  housed  during  the 
"season,"  whicli  begins  about  the  middle  of  November,  and  ends  in  the  middle  of 
February.  Quarters  are  provided  for  that  portion  of  the  ship's  company  which  is 
assigned  to  duty  on  shore.  The  habitation  is  a  small  hut,  properly  divided  off 
into  apartments — one  for  the  mates,  one  for  the  steerage  officers,  and  another  for 
the  men.  This  dwelling  is  no  larger  than  necessity  demands.  Its  walls  are  built 
of  the  detached  pieces  of  lava,  or  bowlders,  nearest  at  hand  ;  rough  boards  and 
tarred  canvas,  supplied  from  the  ship,  form  the  roof,  which  must  be  made  water- 
proof and  snow- proof.  During  the  day,  light  is  admitted  to  each  room  through  a 
single  pane  of  glass,  or  a  spare  dock  or  side  light — perhaps  found  among  the 
rubbish  on  board  the  vessel ;  and  doors  are  made  after  the  fashion  of  "good  old 
colony  times,"  with  the  latch -string  ever  swinging  in  the  wind.  In  this  dank 
habitation,  planted  between  an  iceberg  on  one  side  and  a  bluff  volcanic  mountain 
Oil  the  other,  these  rough  men  of  the  sea  at  once  adapt  themselves  to  their  several 
situations,  and  all  the  discipline  is  maintained  that  they  would  be  subject  to  if  on 
board  ship.  The  high  surf  at  this  island  renders  it  impracticable  to  haul  off  the 
blubber  in  "rafts,"  as  at  Desolation  Island  and  on  the  coasts  of  the  Californias : 


II 


THE   SEA    ELEPHANT.  121 

hence  it  is  usually  "minced"  (the  "horse -pieces"  cut  into  thin  slices)  and  put 
into  tight  casks  to  prevent  any  waste  of  the  oil ;  then,  when  a  smooth  day  comes, 
they  are  rolled  down  the  beach,  and  pulled  through  the  rollers  by  the  boats ;  or 
the  tender  is  anchored  near  shore,  a  line  is  run  to  the  vessel,  and  the  casks  hauled 
alongside,  hoisted  in,  and  transferred  to  the  ship,  where  the  oil  is  tried  out  and 
"stowed  down"  in  the  usual  manner. 

As  soon  as  the  season  is  over — or,  rather,  when  the  time  has  come  for  the 
ship  to  leave,  either  for  home,  or  to  find  shelter  in  some  harbor  at  the  Island  of 
Desolation — the  shore -party  is  supplied  with  provisions,  all  the  surplus  articles 
that  were  landed  are  re -embarked,  the  heavy  anchors  are  ut  last  weighed,  and 
amid  hail,  snow,  and  sleet,  the  ship  under  her  half- frozen  canvas  bounds  over  the 
billows,  and  soon  disappears  in  the  offing. 

The  vessels  having  departed,  the  officers  and  men  left  on  the  island  resume 
their  daily  occupations.  Usually  the  number  is  divided  into  two  "gangs,"  stationed 
at  separate  places,  where  clusters  of  huts  have  sprung  up  for  the  use  of  those 
belonging  to  the  different  vessels,  who  have  from  time  to  time  made  it  a  tempo- 
rary abiding- place.  Try-works  are  built,  and  a  shanty  is  erected  for  a  cooper's 
shop.  These  two  habitable  spots  are  known  as  "Whisky  Bay"  and  "The  Point;" 
the  former  being  a  slight  indentation  of  the  shore -line,  where  the  Elephants  in 
countless  numbers  were  found  by  the  first  vessel  visiting  there,  which,  as  report 
says,  had  a  supply  of  "old  rye"  stowed  in  her  run.  The  captain,  in  the  heat 
of  hip  successful  prosecution  of  the  arduous  business  of  procuring  a  cargo,  gave 
his  men  permission  to  "splice  the  main  brace  strong  and  often,"  so  long  as  the 
work  went  briskly  on;  and  it  is  humorously  told  that  this  noted  landing-place  was 
"christened"  at  the  cost  of  barrels  of  the  beverage,  thus  securing  to  it  a  name  as 
lasting  as  that  of  the  prominent  headland  on  the  borders  of  the  Okhotsk  Sea,  well 
known  to  whalemen  as  "Whisky  Bluff."  From  day  to  day  the  separated  parties, 
living  some  thirty  miles  apart,  hunt  the  animals  for  leagues  along  the  shores,  with 
the  varied  success  incident  to  season  or  circumstances ;  and,  although  on  the  same 
island,  the  face  of  the  country  is  so  broken — being  rent  into  deep  chasms,  walled 
in  as  it  were  by  fjiddy,  shelving  heights,  making  it  impossible  to  travel,  even  on 
foot,  far  inland  toward  its  extremities,  and  the  shores  hedged  in  by  sharp  ridges 
of  basalt,  stretching  out  into  the  sea — the  two  divir'.ons  know  nothing  of  each 
other  until  the  vessels  return,  which  is  frequently  after  an  absence  of  from  eight 
to  twelve  months,  and  during  that  time  a  thousand  or  more  barrels  uf  oil  nay  have 
been  collected. 

Notwithstanding  the  hardships  and  deprivations  that  are  undergone  to  make  a 

MiBiKi  MimiAU.  — 16. 


i 

i 


122         MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

successful  voyage,  there  is  no  lack  of  enterprising  merchants  ready  to  invest  their 
capital  in  any  adventure  when  there  is  a  prospect  of  ultimate  gain ;  and  no  ocean 
or  sea  where  there  is  a  possibility  of  navigating  appears  too  perilous  for  the  advent- 
urous seamen  to  try  their  luck  upon.  The  very  fact  of  the  voyage  being  fraught 
with  danger  and  difficulty  tends  to  stimulate  them  to  action.  And  in  this  remote 
part  of  the  world  of  which  we  have  spoken,  that  was  unknown  to  the  early  explor- 
ers, as  well  as  to  those  who  have  more  recently  voyaged  toward  the  Antarctic  con- 
tinent— and  for  the  geographical  position  of  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  enter- 
prise and  nautical  skill  of  those  of  our  countrymen  who  commenced  the  life  of  a 
sailor  by  "coming  through  the  hawse-holes" — we  find  that  rival  parties  are  left  on 
its  bleak  shores,  who,  when  opposed  the  one  to  the  other,  watch  with  greater  care 
every  movement  that  may  be  made,  than  the  coming  and  going  of  the  creatures 
which  are  the  objects  of  pursuit.  Many  a  war  of  words  has  arisen,  with  the  brand- 
ishing of  club  and  lance  in  the  strife ;  but,  like  the  pioneer  California  miners, 
when  left  to  rely  on  their  own  good  sense  for  self-government,  there  was  littl  to 
fear  but  that  all  laws  made  would  be  simple,  just,  and  strictly  adhered  to.  When 
parties  from  different  vessels  are  located  on  the  same  beach,  the  custom  is  for  all 
to  wor'.v  together  when  killing  the  animals,  as  well  as  when  skinning  and  cutting 
the  Liubber  from  the  bodies  into  "horse -pieces."  These  are  thrown  into  one  or 
more  piles ;  after  which,  the  men  of  each  party  arc  ranged  in  squads,  and  each 
one,  in  turn,  draws  a  piece  from  the  heap,  until  all  is  disposed  of.  These  divisions 
are  made  whenever  the  animals  are  found  and  killed  in  any  considerable  numbers ; 
and,  if  far  from  the  rendezvous,  the  blubber  is  "backed,"  or  rolled  in  casks  to  the 
main  depot.  "Backing"  is  the  stringing  of  eight  or  ten  pieces  on  a  fole,  which 
is  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  two  men ;  but  if  a  cask  is  used,  three  mer.  aru  allot- 
ted to  each  one  of  six  or  eight  barrels'  capacity,  to  roll  which  the  distat.ce  of  two 
miles  is  allowed  to  be  a  day's  work.  While  the  ship  is  away,  homeward  bound,  or 
returning  to  the  island  for  another  cargo,  the  tender  may  bo  at  Desolation  Island, 
picking  up  what  scattering  Elephants  can  be  found  upon  shores  that  once  swarmed 
with  millions  of  those  huge  beasts;  or  a  short  whaling- cruise  is  made,  until  the 
time  comes  for  commencing  operations  at  the  island. 

Hunting  for  the  scattering  animals  about  the  shores  of  Desolation  Island, 
"between  seasons,"  is  the  most  exposed  and  solitary  pursuit  either  in  the  whalo 
or  seal  fishery.  The  tender  takes  a  detachment  of  the  crew,  and  plies  along  the 
island  coast,  landing  one  or  two  men  on  r^ach  of  the  best  beaches,  with  a  supply 
of  water  and  provisions ;  a  tent  or  shanty  is  erected,  partly  of  wood,  partly  of 
canvas ;   and  the  skins  of  the  Elephants  furnish  the  floor,  couch,  and  covering  of 


THE   SEA    ELEPHANT.  123 

the  temporary  habitation.  Here  the  banished  hunter  or  hunters  rest  at  night, 
after  the  fatigues  of  ranging  along  the  shores,  killing  and  flaying  the  animals  met 
with,  and  transporting  the  blubber  to  a  place  of  deposit,  where  it  is  buried,  to  pre- 
vent the  gulls  from  devouring  it,  until  taken  aboard.  As  the  season  returns  at 
Herd's  Island,  the  vessels  are  usually  "on  the  gt:>und;"  the  treacherous  surf  is  again 
passed  and  repassed  in  the  light,  frail  whale-boats,  landing  the  fresh  crew  from 
home,  who  relieve  those  who  have  thus  literally  "seen  the  elephant."  The  time 
passes  quickly  away,  in  the  toil  and  excitement  of  killing  and  flensing ;  and  again 
the  floating  fragment  of  the  world  departs  for  the  land  of  civilization,  leaving  her 
last  crew  from  home  to  pass  an  iutarctic  winter,  amid  the  solitudes  of  icebergs 
and  the  snow -covered  peaks  of  the  mountain  land.  No  passing  sail  is  seen  to 
break  the  monotony  of  their  voluntary  exile;  even  many  varieties  of  sea-birds 
found  at  Desolation  Island  do  not  deign  to  visit  them.  Multitudes  of  penguins, 
however,  periodically  resort  to  the  island,  and  their  eggs,  together  with  the  tongues 
of  the  Sea  Elephants,  and  one  or  two  kinds  of  fish,  furnish  a  welcome  repast  for  all 
hands,  by  way  of  change  from  that  substantial  fare  called  "salt-horse"  and  "lard- 
tack."  Beside  the  close  stoves  in  their  apartments,  which  are  heated  with  coal  from 
the  ship,  or  the  fat  of  the  Elephant  pups,  and  the  flickerings  of  a  murky  oil -lamp, 
the  long  winter  evenings  are  passed  in  smoking  and  playing  amusing  games — "old 
sledge"  and  "seven-up"  being  favorites — and  the  reckless  joking  that  circulates 
among  adventurers  who  make  light  of  ill-luck,  and  turn  reverses  into  ridicule. 

The  extent  and  value  of  the  Sea  Elephant  fishery,  from  its  commencement  up 
to  the  present  date,  is  not  definitely  known,  as  the  ships  engaged  in  the  enterprise, 
when  whaling  and  sealing  was  at  its  height  in  the  southern  ocean,  were  also  in 
pursuit  of  the  valuable  fur- bearing  animals,  as  well  as  the  Cachalot  and  the  ba- 
loena ;  hence  their  cargoes  were  often  made  up  of  a  variety  of  the  oils  of  com- 
merce. We  have  reliable  accounts,  however,  of  the  Sea  Elephant  being  taken  for 
its  oil  as  early  as  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  At  those  islands,  or  upon 
the  coasts  on  the  main,  where  vessels  could  find  secure  shelter  from  all  winds,  the 
animals  have  long  since  been  virtually  annihilated  ;  and  now  they  are  only  sought 
after  in  the  remote  places  we  have  mentioned,  and  these  points  are  only  accessible 
under  the  great  difficulties  that  beset  the  mariner  when  sailing  near  the  polar  re- 
gions of  the  globe.  Enough  data  are  at  hand,  nevertheless,  to  show  that  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  the  animals,  yielding  as  many  barrels  of  oil,  have  been  taken  from 
Desolation  and  Herd's  Islands,  by  American  ships,  which  for  many  years  have  main- 
tained a  monopoly  of  the  business. 


CHAPTER    II. 
THE  SEA  LION. 

(Plate  xxii,  fig.  1,  2.) 

Among  the  numerous  species  of  marine  mammalia  found  upon  the  Pacific  Coast 
of  North  America,  none  excite  more  interest  than  the  Sea  Lion ;  even  the  valuable 
and  almost  domesticated  Fur  Seal  of  the  PribylofF  group  of  islands  fails  to  equal  it 
in  utility  to  the  Aleutians,  who  depend  upon  it  not  only  as  a  staple  article  of 
food,  but  obtain,  by  the  sale  of  its  silky  skin,  their  foreign  luxuries  of  every  nat- 
ure. But  the  Fur  Seal  {CaUarhinus)  dwells  only  periodically  in  isolated  places, 
while  the  Sea  Lion,  although  having  an  extended  geograj  'lical  range,  is  a  frequent- 
er, not  only  of  remote  and  secluded  places,  but  also  of  thickly  inhabited  coasts  j 
entering  inland  bays  and  rivers ;  at  times  disporting  among  the  shipping,  and  quite 
frequently  making  some  detached  rock  or  reef,  contiguous  to  the  busy  shore,  a 
permanent  abode,  where  it  seems  to  enjoy  its  approximate  union  with  civilization. 
The  Sea  Lion  is  known,  among  naturalists,  as  belonging  to  the  sub -family  IHcho- 
phocirujB,  of  which  there  are  three  genera,  and  several  varieties,  said  to  be  distribut- 
ed as  follows:  Otaria  jubata,  found  on  the  southern  coasts  and  islands  of  South 
America ;  Eumetopiaa  SteUeri,  which  inhabits  the  coasts  and  islands  of  the  North 
Pacific,  from  California  and  southern  Eamschatka  northward ;  Zahphus  OlUef  li,  found 
on  the  coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Pacific,  from  Lower  California  and  southern 
Japan  northward ;  Zahphus  lobatus,  of  the  Australasian  seas.*  To  whatever  genus  of 
the  IHchophocituB  the  animals  may  belong,  their  general  habits,  so  far  as  I  have 
had  opportunity  to  observe,  a.-e  the  same ;  the  only  difference  being  that  those 
among  their  number  who  migrate  north  or  south,  conform,  in  some  respects,  to  the 
various  situations  they  may  be  placed  in  between  the  equatorial  and  polar  regions. 

*The  olassification  and  geographical  distri-  Eared  Seals,  lately  published;  with  an  account 
bution  here  given,  are  based  upon  the  authority  of  the  northern  Fur  Seals,  by  Oaptain  Charles 
of  the  valuable  work  of  J.  A.    Allen,   on   the      Bryant. 

C»«] 


THE   SEA    LION. 


125 


We  are  acquainted,  however,  with  only  two  genera,*  one  of  which  {Otaria  jubata) 
inhabits  the  coast  of  South  America,  and  the  other  (Mimetopias  Sldleri)  we  have 
met  with  between  the  tropical  lines  of  the  Pacific,  from  the  Qalapagos  islands — 
which  are  situated  about  the  equator — northward  on  the  west  coast  of  North 
America  nearly  to  Behring  Strait,  and  westward  to  the  Island  of  Saghalien  on  the 
coast  of  eastern  Siberia.  The  first -named  genus  has  a  short,  rounded  head,  prom- 
inent above  the  eyes,  and  a  shaggy  mane,  which  imparts  a  resemblance  to  the  king 
of  beasts ;  hence  the  appropriate  name,  Sea  Lion,  which  was  given  it  when  first 
described. 

The   Eumetopas   Stelleri  is   of  more   symmetrical    proportions   than   the    Otaria 
jubata,  and  very  nearly  resembles  the  Fur  Seal,  more  particularly  the  males ;  and, 


*  Since  tho  publication  of  the  article  "About 
Sea  Lions,"  in  the  Overland  Monlldy  of  Septem- 
ber, 1871,  we  have  had  opportunity  of  making 
additional  observations  upon  these  animals  at 
the  Farallone  Islands,  where  wn  saw  the  largest 
females  we  have  ever  met  with  on  the  California 
coast.  Hence,  what  we  have  formerly  taken  to 
be  the  Eamatopiaa  Stelleri  may  prove  to  be  the 
Zalophus  Gillespiif;  but,  if  such  be  the  fact,  both 
species  inhabit  tho  coast  of  California,  at  least 
as  far  south  as  the  Farallones.  Moreover,  both 
species,  if  we  may  be  allowed  the  expression, 
herd  together  in  the  same  rookeries.  On  mak- 
ing b  series  of  observations  upon  the  outward 
forms  of  Sea  Lions,  it  will  be  found  that  a 
confusing  variety  exists  in  the  figiires  of  these 
very  interesting  animals,  espeoially  in  the  shape 
of  the  head :  some  having  a  short  muzzle,  with 
a  full  forehead;  others  with  forehead  and  nose 
somewhat  elongated ;  and  still  others  of  a  mod- 
ified iiaa^o,  between  the  two  extremes. 

Within  the  past  five  years,  several  observers 
have  assured  mc  that  the  Sea  Lions  of  the 
north,  pai-ticularly  those  of  St.  Paul's  Island, 
Behring  Sea,  were  much  larger  than  those  on 
the  coast  of  California;  but  this  information 
proves  to  be  incorrect,  for  the  same  observers, 
aft«r  visiting  the  island  a  second  time,  and  in- 
vestigating the  matter  more  thoroughly,  have 
arrived  at   the  conclusion    that    the    male    Sea 


Lions  there  found  will  rarely  exceed  eleven  feet 
in  extreme  length ;  while  on  the  coast  of  Cali- 
fornia, animals  of  that  length  are  frequently 
met  with,  and,  as  before  stated,  there  is  no 
lack  of  cases  where  the  animals  have  reached 
the  length  of  twelve  feet,  and  an  instance  is 
known,  as  stated  by  Professor  Davidson,  of  the 
U.  S.  Coast  Survey,  where  the  specimen  meas- 
ured fifteen  feet  from  tip  to  tip.  In  any  event, 
there  is  no  further  question  about  the  northern 
Sea  Lions  exceeding  in  size  the  Sea  Lions  of 
California,  as  those  inhabiting  the  last-named 
region  are  at  least  fully  equal  in  magnitude  to 
their  congeners  of  the  north.  The  accompany- 
ing figures  may  convey  a  better  idea  of  their 
forms  than  a  written  description. 

Doubts  have  been  expressed  as  to  the  mi- 
gratory habits  of  the  Sea  Lion ;  but  we  are  fully 
convinced  that  there  are  individuals,  at  least, 
among  all  the  northern  herds,  that  change  from 
the  cold  latitudes  to  the  tropics,  as  wo  have 
killed  several  of  the  animals  upon  the  southern 
coast  of  California,  during  the  month  of  June, 
in  which  were  found  arrow  or  spear  heads,  such 
as  are  used  by  the  northern  sea -coast  natives. 
Professor  Davidson  states  that  in  June,  1870,  a 
spear -head,  such  as  is  used  by  the  natives  of 
Alaska,  was  found  in  a  large  male  Sea  Lion, 
taken  at  Point  Arenas,  in  latitude  39°,  on  the 
coast  of  California. 


126  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NOBTH-WESTEBN   COAST. 


iiiui)»7^uyi%t!iS» 


Male  Sea  Lion  Sleeping. 


Male  Sea  Lion  WAKiNa 


THE   SEA    LION. 


127 


Appearance  of  a  Male  Sea  Lion  when  Roaring. 


Female  Sea  Lions  of  St    Paul's  Island. 


128  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

at  a  distance,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  between  a  fully  matured  Fur  Seal  and  a 
Sea  Lion  of  ordinary  size.  The  extreme  length  of  the  ful  -grown  male  Sea  Lion 
of  the  north  may  be  set  down  at  sixteen  feet  from  tip  of  nose  to  end  of  posterior 
flippers,  and  yield  of  oil  at  forty  gallons ;  but  it  is  seldom  they  are  found  meas- 
uring twelve  feet  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail,  and  the  individual  yield  of  oil 
throughout  the  season  would  not  exceed  ten  gallons.  Its  greatest  circumference 
would  not  be  over  eight  feet,  and  its  weight  about  one  thousand  pounds.  Its  head 
and  neck  are  more  elongated,  and  the  latter  is  destitute  of  the  mane  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  Lion  of  the  southern  seas.  Its  mouth  is  armed  with  strong, 
glistening,  white  teeth.  Its  projecting  upper  lip  is  furnished,  on  each  side,  with 
strong,  flexible  whiskers,  which  are  generally  of  a  white,  or  yellowish  -  white  color, 
some  of  which  grow  to  the  length  of  eighteen  inches.  When  the  animal  is  either 
excited  by  curiosity  or  anger,  its  eyes  are  full  of  expression ;  and  at  such  times 
they  appear  large,  but  when  the  creature  is  dozing,  these  members  have  quite  the 
opposite  appearance.  Its  ears  are  cylindrical  at  the  root,  tapering  to  a  point,  are 
covered  with  short,  fine  hair,  and  lie  nearly  in  a  line  with  the  body.  Its  limbs, 
which  are  incased  with  a  sort  of  thick  shagreen,  combine  the  triple  functions  of 
legs,  feet,  and  fins,  and  are  far  better  adapted  to  locomotion  in  the  watery  ele- 
ment ;  where,  when  excited,  its  movements  are  swift  and  graceful,  while  on  the 
land,  the  creature's  imposing,  though  awkward  traveling,  requires  great  effort.  Its 
body  is  covered  with  short,  coarse,  shining  hair.  The  color  of  the  adult  males  is 
much  diversified ;  individuals  of  the  same  rookery  being  quite  black,  with  scatter- 
ing hairs  tipped  with  dull  white,  while  others  are  of  a  reddish  brown,  dull  gray,  or 
of  light  gray  above,  darker  below.  The  adult  female  is  not  half  the  bulk  of  the 
male,  and  its  color  is  a  light  brown.  One  of  the  average  size,  taken  at  Santa  Bar- 
bara Island,  coast  of  California,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  measured  six  feet  four 
inches  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  posterior  flippers,  and  weighed  one  hundred  and 
eighty -two  pounds. 

We  submit  the  following  measurements,  etc.  (in  feet  and  inches),  of  a  full- 
grown  male  Sea  Lion  (No.  1),  taken  at  the  Farallone  Islands,  July  17th,  1872 ;  of 
an  adult  female  Sea  Lio  (No.  2),  taken  at  Santa  Barbara  Island,  coast  of  Califor- 
nia, April  ^2th,  1871;  and  of  a  male  Sea  Lion  (No.  3),  about  ten  months  old, 
taken  at  the  last-nt.med  island,  April  4th,  1872: 

Ho.  1.  No,  a.  No.  9. 

Length  of  animal  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  posterior  flippers,  12  0  6    4  4  10 

Length  of  posterior  flippers 2  2  11  0  llj^ 

Breadth  of  posterior  flippers  (expanded) 0  9  0    8 

Bound  the  body  behind  the  pectorals 7  0  8    8  2    8 


THE  SEA    LION.  129 

Ro.  1.  Ko.  1.  Ho.  S. 

From  tip  of  nose  to  pectorals 6    0        2  1  19 

Length  of  pectorals 2    6        14  13 

Breadth  of  pectorals 1    1        0  6  0    4J 

Distance  between  extremities  of  pectorals 10    0 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye , 0  3J  0    3^^ 

From  tip  of  nose  to  ear 0  8  0    7 

Length  of  ear 0    IJ      0  IJ  0    1 

Girth  of  body  at  root  of  posterior  flippers 1  6  0  11^ 

From  tip  of  nose  to  root  of  tail 3  lOi 

From  tip  of  nose  to  comer  of  mouth 0  4^  0    3| 

From  end  of  lower  jaw  to  comer  of  mouth 0  3  0    2^ 

Length  of  taU 0    7        0  2  0    2J 

Length  of  longest  whiskers 1    6        0  6  0    6^ 

Length  of  longest  claws  on  posterior  flippers 0    1^ 

Breadth  of  longest  claws  on  posterior  flippers 0    Of 

From  root  of  tail  to  genital  slit 1     2  0    6 

From  root  of  tail  to  hind  teats 1  2 

From  root  of  tail  to  forward  teats 1  10 

Distance  between  the  two  hind  teats  across  the  belly 0  5 

Distance  between  the  two  forward  teats  across  the  belly 0  8 

Thickness  of  blubber 0    1        0  OJ  0    OJ 

Number  of  whiskers  on  each  side  of  the  face:  No.  1,  thirty -one;  No.  2,  thir- 
ty-five; No.  3,  thirty -six  and  thirty -five. 

Three  other  males  were  measured  at  the  same  time  of  the  first  example,  which 
varied  but  little  in  their  proportions.  The  number  of  claws  on  posterior  flippers 
of  No.  1  were  five,  three  of  which  were  rudimentary.  In  the  adult  female  example, 
(No.  2)  the  blubber  was  half  an  inch  thick  on  the  back,  and  one  inch  on  the 
belly. 

The  following  are  the  measurements,  etc.  (in  feet  and  inches),  of  a  female  Sea 
Lion  (No.  1),  supposed  to  be  a  yearling,  taken  at  Santa  Barbara  Island;  and  of 
a  new-born  female  Sea  Lion  pup,  (No.  2),  taken  at  the  same  island,  May  3d,  1873: 

No.  1.  Ho.  9. 

Length  of  animal  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  posterior  flippers 4  10  2    4 

Length  of  posterior  flippers Oil  0    5J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  root  of  tail 3  lOJ  111 

Length  of  taU 0    2i  0    H 

From  tip  of  nose  to  pectorals 2    0  0  lOJ 

Length  of  pectorals 1     2J  0    7 

Breadth  of  pectorals 0    4J  0    8 

Girth  of  body  behind  pectorals 2    7  1    8 

Girth  of  body  at  junction  with  posterior  flippers 11  0    6J 

Mabwi  MAmfALa.  —  IT. 


130         MARINE   MAMMALS    OF   THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

\  \  No.  1.  Mo.  a. 

;  From  tip  of  nose  to  corner  of  mouth 0  3}  0  2 

From  end  of  under  jaw  to  comer  of  mouth. 0  2 

,.  From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0  3  0  \% 

4 '  From  tip  of  nose  to-ear 0  6  0  4 

Length  of  ear 0  IJ 

rj  Thickness  of  blubber 0  Of  0  0} 

In  the  first  example,  the  whiskers  on  each  side  of  the  face  numbered  thirty- 
five  and  thirty -six;    length   of  the  longest  whisker,  four  and  three -eighths  of  an 
j  inch.     The  color  of  the  second  example  was  black  above,  a  little  lighter  below, 

'  with  scattering  hairs  of  light  brown  or  dull  white.     It  had  three  rudimentary  claws 

]  on  each  pectoral ;  and  five  claws  on  posterior  flippers,  two  of  which  were  rudiment- 

ary.    Weight  of  animals,  respectively,  eighty  and  ten  and  a  half  pounds. 

We  give  also  several  zincographic  illustrations,  which  may  afibrd  a  better  idea 
of  the  different  forms  of  the  animals  in  varied  attitudes,  as  well  as  their  facial 
expression  when  sleeping,  waking,  and  when  in  a  state  of  excitement,  which  is 
manifested  by  howling  or  roaring. 

Both  males  and  females  have  a  double  coating  of  fat  or  blubber,  lying  between 
the  skin  and  the  flesh  of  the  body.  These  coatings  are  separated  by  a  thin  layer 
of  muscular  tissue.  The  fat  yields  the  oil  of  commerce,  although  inferior  in  quality 
to  that  of  the  Sea  Elephant.  The  young  pups,  or  whelps,  are  of  a  slate  or  black 
color,  and  the  yearlings  of  a  chestnut  brown.  An  erroneous  impression  gener- 
ally prevails  relative  to  the  size  of  the  Sea  Lion,  which  is  considered,  by  many, 
to  be  of  mammoth  proportions.  And,  when  describing  the  larger  species  of  mam- 
malia found  in  the  vast  ocean,  there  is  a  manifest  propensity  to  magnify  them 
until  transformed  into  huge  monsters,  like  the  whale  of  the  ancient  voyagers,  which 
"wore  nine  hundred  foot  long,"  or  that  distinguished  specimen  of  the  seal  family, 
honored  with  the  name  of  "Ben  Butler,"  who,  with  his  troop,  holds  possession  of 
Seal  Rock,  off  the  cliffs  of  San  Francisco,  and  that  has  been  estimated  at  the  great 
weight  of  two  thousand  pounds. 

The  habits  of  the  Sea  Lion  exhibit  many  striking  features.     It  not  only  dwells 

near  the  Arctic   and  Antarctic   latitudes,   but  it   basks   upon   the  glittering   sands 

under  an  equatorial  sun.     On  approaching  an  island,  or  point,  occupied  by  a  num- 

;,  erous  herd,  one  first   hears  their   long,  plaintive  bowlings,  as  if  in  distress ;    but, 

i  when  near  them,  the  sounds  become  more  varied,  and  deafening.     The  old   males 

'  roar  so  loudly  as  to  drown  the  noise  of  the  heaviest  surf  among   the  rocks  and 

caverns;  and  the  younger  of  both  sexes,   together  with  the  " clapmatches,"   croak 
hoarsely,  or  send  forth  sounds  like  the  bleating  of  sheep  or  the  barking  of  dogs; 


THE   SEA    LION.  131 

in  fact,  their  tumultuous  utterances  are  beyond  description.  A  rookery  of  the 
matured  animals  presents  a  ferocious  and  defiant  appearance ;  but  usually,  at  the 
approach  of  man,  they  become  alarmed,  and,  if  not  opposed  in  their  escape,  roll, 
tumble,  and  sometimes  make  fearful  leaps,  from  high  precipitous  rocks,  to  hasten 
their  flight.  Like  all  others  of  the  seal  tribe,  they  are  gregarious,  and  gather  in 
the  largest  numbers  during  the  "pupping  season,"  which  varies  in  different  latitudes. 
On  the  California  coast  it  is  from  May  to  August,  inclusive,  and  upon  the  shores 
of  Alaska  it  is  said  to  be  from  June  to  October ;  during  which  period  the  females 
bring  forth  their  young,  nurse  them,  associate  with  the  valiant  males,  and  both 
unite  in  the  care  of  the  little  ones,  keeping  a  wary  guard,  and  teaching  them,  by 
their  own  parental  actions,  how  to  mov€  over  the  broken,  slimy,  rock -bound  shore, 
or  upon  the  sandy,  pebbly  beaches,  and  to  dive  and  gambol  amid  the  surf  and 
rolling  ground -swells.  At  first  the  pups  manifest  great  aversion  to  the  water,  but 
soon,  instinctively,  become  active  and  playful  in  the  element ;  so,  by  the  time  the 
season  is  over,  the  juvenile  creatures  disappear  with  the  greater  portion  of  the  old 
ones ;  only  a  few  of  the  vast  herd  remaining  at  the  favorite  resorts  throughout  the 
year.  During  the  pupping  season,  both  males  and  females,  so  far  as  we  could 
ascertain,  take  but  little  if  any  food,  particularly  the  males ;  though  the  females 
have  been  observed  to  leave  their  charges  and  go  off,  apparently  in  search  of  sub- 
sistence, but  they  do  not  venture  far  from  their  young  ones.  That  the  Sea  Lion  can 
go  without  food  for  a  long  time  is  unquestionable.  One  of  the  superintendents  of 
Woodward's  Gardens  informed  me,  that  in  numerous  instances  they  had  received 
Sea  Lions  into  the  aquarium,  which  did  not  eat  a  morsel  of  nourishment  during  a 
whole  month,  and  appeared  to  suffer  but  little  inconvenience  from  their  long  fast. 
As  the  time  approaches  for  the  annual  assemblage,  thosf^  '•eturning  or  coming 
from  abroad  are  seen  near  the  shores,  appearing  wild  and  siiy.  Soon  after,  how- 
ever, the  females  gather  upon  the  beaches,  cliffs,  or  rocks,  when  the  battles  among 
the  old  males  begin  for  the  supreme  control  of  the  harems ;  these  struggles  often 
lasting  for  days,  the  fight  being  kept  up  until  one  or  both  become  exhausted,  but 
is  renewed  again  when  sufliciently  recuperated  for  another  attack ;  and,  really,  the 
attitudes  assumed,  and  the  passes  made  at  each  other,  equal  the  amplifications  of  a 
professional  fencer.  The  combat  lasts  until  both  become  disabled,  or  one  is  driven 
from  the  ground,  or  perhaps  both  become  so  reduced  that  a  third  party,  fresh  from 
his  winter  migration,  drives  them  from  the  coveted  charge.  The  vanquished  ani- 
mals then  slink  off  to  some  retired  spot,  as  if  disgraced.  Nevertheless,  at  times, 
two  or  more  will  have  charge  of  the  same  rookery ;  but,  in  such  instances,  frequent 
defiant  growlings  and  petty  battles  occur.     So  far  as  we  have  observed  upon  the 


132 


MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


Sea  Lions  of  the  California  coast,  there  ia  but  little  attachment  manifested  between 
the  sexes ;  indeed,  much  of  the  Turkish  nature  is  apparent.  But  the  females  show 
some  aOection  for  their  offspring :  yet,  if  alarmed  when  upon  the  land,  they  will 
instantly  desert  them,  and  take  to  the  water.  The  young  cubs,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  the  most  fractious  and  savage  little  creatures  imaginable,  especially  if  awakened 
from  their  nearly  continuous  sleeping ;  and  frequently,  when  a  mother  reclines  to 
nurse  her  single  whelp,  a  swarm  of  others  will  perhaps  contend  for  the  same  favor.* 
To  give  a  more  extended  and  detailed  account  of  the  Sea  Lions,  we  will 
relate  a  brief  sketch  of  a  sealing  season  on  Santa  Barbara  Island.  It  was  near  the 
end  of  May,  1852,  when  we  arrived ;  and,  soon  after,  the  rookeries  of  "clapmatches," 
which  were  scattered  around  the  island,  began  to  augment,  and  large  numbers  of 
huge  males  made  their  appearance,  belching  forth  sharp,  ugly  howls,  and  leaping 
out  of  or  darting  through  the  water  with  surprising  velocity ;  frequently  diving 
outside  the  rollers,  the  next  moment  emerging  from  the  crest  of  the  foaming  break- 


♦It  is  positively  asserted  by  the  natives  of 
St.  Paul's  Island,  Behring  Sea,  that  the  female 
Sea  Lion  of  that  locality  suckles  the  male  pup 
the  second  year.  Special  Agent  Bryant,  who 
has  passed  several  seasons  upon  this  island,  has 
informed  us  that  he  has  investigated  the  mat- 
ter as  far  as  practicable,  and  gives  credit  to  the 
assertion.  There  would  seem  to  be  nothing  im- 
probable about  the  young  Sea  Lion  suckling  the 
second  year,  as  the  fact  of  yearlings  of  land 
mammals  doing  likewise  is  fully  established. 
But  whether  the  female  Sea  Lion,  of  a  year's 
growth,  is  denied  the  nourishment  which  is  af- 
forded to  the  male,  would  seem  a  critical  ques- 
tion; yet,  if  such  is  the  fact,  this  may  account 
for  the  great  discrepancy  of  size  between  the 
adult  males  and  females. 

Although  a  digression  from,  yet  in  a  sense 
corroborative  of,  the  habits  imputed  to  the  Sea 
Lion,  in  nursing  its  young,  we  will  mention 
facts  which  have  just  come  to  our  knowledge, 
through  the  whalemen  at  Monterey  Bay,  Cali- 
fornia, which  present  nearly  a  parallel  case  with 
that  of  the  Sea  Lions.  On  the  1st  of  October, 
1873,  the  whalers  captured  a  cow  whale  of  the 
Humpback  species;   also   a  calf  that  was  with 


her,  which  was  judged  to  be  about  one  year 
old.  That  this  yearling  was  the  offspring  of  the 
captured  female,  there  can  be  no  question,  as 
she  followed  close  to  the  calf  (which  was  first 
harpooned)  until  it  was  nearly  lifeless ;  and  when 
the  exhausted  creature  was  about  to  expire,  the 
mother  made  an  effort  to  support  it  by  holding 
it  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  with  her  head. 
These  solicitous  manifestations  on  the  part  of 
the  female  are  regarded  as  unquestionable  evi- 
dence, that  the  young  whale  in  question  was 
her  cherished  offspring.  As  soon  as  it  expired, 
the  mother  turned  to  make  her  escape,  but  while 
in  this  act,  she  was  "harpooned"  and  "bomb* 
ed,"  killing  her  almost  instantly.  Both  whales 
were  towed  to  the  station ;  and  when  the  calf 
was  cut  in,  it  was  found  to  be  a  male ;  and  on 
flensing  the  mother,  a  well -grown  foetus  was 
found  in  her,  which  proved,  in  this  instance, 
that  the  yearling  whale  not  only  follows  its 
dam,  but  during  that  period  the  mother  asso- 
ciates with  the  adult  males,  and  again  becomes 
pregnant  before  separating  from  her  former  calf. 
At  the  time  of  the  capture  of  the  two  whales 
above  mentioned,  an  adult  bull  was  in  their 
company,  which  was  also  captured. 


THE  SEA    LION.  133 

ers,  and  waddling  up  the  beach  with  head  erect,  or,  with  seeming  effort,  climbing 
some  icelp- fringed  rock,  to  doze  in  the  scorching  sunbeams,  while  others  would  lie 
sleeping  or  playing  among  the  beds  of  sea -weed,  with  their  heads  and  outstretched 
limbs  above  the  surface.  But  a  few  days  elapsed  before  a  general  contention,  with 
the  adult  males,  began  for  the  mastery  of  the  different  rookeries,  and  the  victims 
of  the  bloody  encounters  were  to  be  seen  on  all  sides  of  the  island,  with  torn 
lips,  or  mutilated  limbs  and  gashed  sides ;  while,  now  and  then,  an  unfortunate 
creature  would  be  met  with,  minus  an  eye,  or  with  the  orb  forced  from  its  socket, 
and,  together  with  other  wounds,  presenting  a  ghastly  appearance.  As  the  time  of 
"hauling  up"  drew  near,  the  island  became  one  mass  of  animation;  every  beach, 
rock,  and  cliff,  where  a  seal  could  find  foot- hold,  became  its  resting-place;  while 
a  countless  herd  of  old  males  capped  the  summit,  and  the  united  clamorings  of  the 
vast  assemblage  could  be  heard,  on  a  calm  day,  for  miles  at  sea.  The  south  side 
of  the  island  is  high  and  precipitous,  with  a  projecting  ledge  hardly  perceptible 
from  the  beach  below,  upon  which  one  immense  Sea  Lion  managed  to  climb,  and 
there  remained  for  several  weeks — until  the  season  was  over.  How  he  ascended, 
or  in  what  manner  he  retired  to  the  water,  was  mystery  to  our  numerous  ship's- 
crew,  as  he  came  and  went  in  the  night;  for  "Old  Gray" — as  named  by  the  sail- 
ors— was  closely  watched  in  his  elevated  position  during  the  time  the  men  were 
engaged  at  their  work  on  shoi"!'.* 

None  but  the  adult  males  were  captured,  which  was  usually  done  by  shooting 
them  in  the  ear  or  near  it ;  for  a  ball  in  any  other  part  of  the  body  had  no  more 
effect  than  it  would  in  a  grizzly  bear.  Occasionally,  however,  they  are  taken  with 
the  club  and  lance,  only  shooting  a  few  of  the  masters  of  the  herd.  This  is  easily 
accomplished  with  an  experienced  crew,  if  there  is  sufficient  ground  back  from  the 
beach  for  the  animals  to  retreat.  During  our  stay,  an  instance  occurred,  which  not 
only  displayed  the  sagacity  of  the  animals,  but  also  their  yielding  disposition,  when 
hard  pressed  in  certain  situations,  as  if  naturally  designed  to  be  slain  in  numbers 
eqV'.ai   to  the  demands  of  their  human  pursuers.     On  the  south  of  Santa  Barbara 

*  Belative   to   the    Sea   Lions    leaping   from  their  own   minds,  that,  by  surprising  the  ani- 

giddy  heights,   an  incident   occurred   at    Santa  mals,  we  could  drivo  them  over  the  cliff.     This 

Barbara  Island,  the  last  of  the  season  of  1852,  was  easily  accomplished;  but,   to  our  chagrin, 

which    we  will    here    mention.      A   rookery   of  when  we  arrived  at  the  point  below,  where  we 

about  twenty  individuals  was  collected  on  the  expected  to  find  the  huge  beasts  helplessly  mu- 

brink  of  a  precipitous  cliff,  at  a  height  at  least  tilated,  or  killed  outright,   the   last   animal   of 

of  sixty  feet  above  the  rocks  which  shelved  from  the  whole  rookery  was  seen  plunging  into  the 

the  beach  below;  and  our  pf Hy  were  sure  in  sea. 


134         MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

Island  was  a  plateau,  elevated  less  than  a  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  stretching 
to  the  brink  of  a  cliff  that  overhung  the  shore,  and  a  narrow  gorge  leading  up 
from  the  beach,  through  which  the  animals  crawled  to  their  favorite  resting-place. 
As  the  sun  dipped  behind  the  hills,  fifty  to  a  hundred  males  would  congregate 
upon  the  spot,  and  there  remain  until  the  boats  were  lowered  in  the  morning, 
when  immediately  the  whole  herd  would  quietly  slip  off  into  the  sea  and  gambol 
about  during  the  day,  returning  as  they  saw  the  boats  again  leave  the  island  for 
the  ship.  Several  unsuccessful  attempts  had  been  made  to  take  them ;  but,  at  last, 
a  fresh  breeze  commenced  blowing  directly  from  the  shore,  and  prevented  their 
scenting  the  hunters,  who  landed  some  distance  from  the  rookery,  then  cautiously 
advanced,  and  suddenly,  yelling,  and  flourishing  muskets,  clubs,  and  lances,  rushed 
up  within  a  few  yards  of  them,  while  the  pleading  creatures,  with  lolling  tongues 
and  glaring  eyes,  were  quite  overcome  with  dismay,  and  remained  nearly  motion- 
less. At  last,  two  overgrown  males  broke  through  the  line  formed  by  the  men, 
but  they  paid  the  penalty  with  their  lives  before  reaching  the  water.  A  few 
moments  passed,  when  all  hands  moved  slowly  toward  the  rookery,  which  as  slowly 
retreated.  This  maneuvre  is  called  "turning  them,"  and,  when  once  accomplished, 
the  disheartened  creatures  appear  to  abandon  all  hope  of  escape,  and  resign  them- 
selves to  their  fate.  The  herd  at  this  time  numbered  seventy -five,  which  were 
soon  dispatched,  by  shooting  the  largest  ones,  and  clubbing  and  lancing  the  others, 
save  one  young  Sea  Lion,  which  was  spared  to  ascertain  whether  it  would  make 
any  resistance  by  being  driven  over  the  hills  beyond.  The  poor  creature  only 
moved  along  through  the  prickly  pears  that  covered  the  ground,  when  compelled 
by  his  cruel  pursuers ;  and,  at  last,  with  an  imploring  look  and  writhing  in  pain, 
it  held  out  its  fin -like  arms,  which  were  pierced  with  thorns,  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  touch  the  sympathy  of  the  barbarous  sealers,  who  instantly  put  the  sufferer  out 
of  its  misery  by  the  stroke  of  a  heavy  club.  As  soon  as  the  animal  is  killed,  the 
longest  spires  of  its  whiskers  are  pulled  out,  then  it  is  skinned,  and  its  coating  of 
fat  cut  in  sections  from  its  body  and  transported  to  the  vessel,  where,  after  being 
''minced,"  the  oil  is  extracted  by  boiling.  The  testes  are  taken  out,  and,  with  the 
selected  spires  of  the  whiskers,  find  a  market  in  China — the  former  being  used 
medicinally,  and  the  latter  for  personal  ornaments. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  —  which  lasts  about  three  months,  on  the  Califor- 
nia coast — a  large  majority  of  the  great  herds,  both  males  and  fcmaleSj  return  to 
the  sea,  and  roam  in  all  directions  in  quest  of  food,  as  but  few  of  them  could 
find  sustenance  about  the  waters  contiguous  to  the  islands,  or  points  on  the  main- 
land, which  are  their  annual  resorting- places.     They  live  upon  fish,  moUusks,  crus- 


THE    SEA    LION. 


135 


taceans,  and  sea -fowls;  always  with  the  addition  of  a  few  pebbles  or  smooth  stones, 
some  of  which  are  a  pound  in  weight.*  Their  principal  feathery  food,  however,  is 
the  penguin,  iu  the  southern  hemisphere,  and  the  gulls  in  the  northern  ;  while  the 
manner  in  which  they  decoy  and  catch  the  gaj'ota  of  the  Mexican  and  Californian 
coasts,  displays  no  little  degree  of  cunning.  When  in  pursuit,  the  animal  dives 
deeply  under  water  and  swims  some  distance  from  where  it  disappeared ;  then,  rising 
cautiously,  it  exposes  the  tip  of  its  nose  above  the  surface,  at  the  same  time  giving 
it  a  rotary  motion,  like  that  of  a  water -bug  at  play.  The  unwary  bird  on  the 
wing,  seeing  the  object  near  by,  alights  to  catch  it,  while  the  Sea  Lion,  at  the 
same  moment,  settles  beneath  the  waves,  and  at  one  bound,  with  extended  jaws, 
seizes  its  screaming  prey,  and  instantly  devours  it 

A  few  years  ago  great  numbers  of  Sea  Lions  were  taken  along  the  coast  of 
Upper  and  Lower  California,  and  thousands  of  barrels  of  oil  obtained.  Thb  uura- 
ber  of  seals  slain  exclusively  for  their  oil  would  appear  fabulous,  when  we  roalize 
the  fact  that  it  requires  on  an  average,  throughout  the  season,  the  blubber  of  three 
or  four  Sea  Lions  to  produce  a  barrel  of  oil.  Their  thick,  coarse-grained  skins 
were  not  considered  worth  preparing  for  market,  in  a  country  where  manual  labor 
was  so  highly  valued.  At  the  present  time,  however,  they  are  valuable  for  glue- 
stock,  and  the  seal -hunter  now  realizes  more  comparative  profit  from  the  hides  than 
from  the  oil.  But  while  the  civilized  sealers,  plying  their  vocation  along  the  sea- 
board of  California  and  Mexico,  destroy  the  Leon  marino,  for  the  product  of  its  oil, 
skin,  testes,  and  whiskers,  the  simple  Aleutians  of  the  Alaska  region  derive  from 
these  animals  many  of  their  indispensable  articles  of  domestic  use.      It  appears  an 


*  The  enormous  quantify  of  food  which  would 
be  required  to  maintain  the  herd  of  many  thou- 
sands, which,  in  former  years,  annually  assem- 
bled at  the  small  island  of  Santa  Barbara,  would 
Beem  incredible,  if  they  doily  obtained  the  al- 
lowance given  to  a  male  and  female  Sea  Lion, 
on  exhibition  ot  Woodward's  Gardens,  San  Fran- 
oisoo,  California,  where  the  keeper  informed  me 
that  ho  fed  them  regularly,  everj-  day,  forty 
pounds  of  fresh  fish.  Since  those  animals  have 
taken  up  their  abode  in  the  ponds  of  tho  gar- 
dens, the  male  has  become  quite  expert  in 
catching  food  within  his  jaws,  as  it  is  thrown 
to  him  or  near  him,  while  lyin(;  upon  a  pile  of 
rocks  in  the  centre  of  the  pond.     Sometimes  a 


piece  of  sturgeon,  upon  which  fish  the  animals 
are  chiefly  fed,  would  be  thrown  in  the  water 
near  by;  and,  although  it  would  sink  out  of 
sight  from  tho  surface,  the  huge  beast  would 
make  a  bound  from  the  rocks,  and  diving,  would 
instantly  recover  it  and  again  return  to  his  ele- 
vated position;  or  when  a  morsel  lodged  upon 
the  rocks,  ho  would  seize  and  devour  it  in  a 
moment,  and  in  the  same  manner  as  the  ani- 
mal picks  up  a  crab,  with  his  mouth,  from  the 
slimy  rocks  of  the  ocean,  and  instantly  bolto  it. 
Tho  female  was  fed  in  the  water;  and  as  the 
food  was  thrown  from  side  to  side  in  the  aqua- 
rium, tho  animal  would  dart  through  the  (de- 
ment with  surprising  velocity  to  receive  it. 


13C  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

instructive  fact  in  the  order  of  Providence,  that  the  northern  belt  of  coast  is  clothed 
with  gigantic  forests,  and  swarms  with  terrestrial  animals  of  the  chase,  whereby 
the  natives  of  the  wooded  regions  find  meaus  of  transport  across  the  inland  waters, 
and  ample  clothing  from  the  skins  of  the  animals  which  range  through  their  hunt- 
ing-grounds, while  the  thousand  islands  which  diversify  the  shore  between  the 
capos  of  Mendocino  and  Ommany  are  but  sparsely  inhabited  by  the  I/umetopias, 
and  those  found  are  turned  to  little  account  by  the  semi -aquatic  savage.  But  ou 
the  seal  islands  of  Alaska,  where  the  only  timber  at  hand  is  drifted  from  the 
great  rivers  draining  the  wooded  main -land,  or  borne  by  the  Kamschatka  branch 
of  the  Kuro  Siwo,  we  find  rookeries  of  the  largest  Sea  Lions  met  with  upon  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific,  gathered  with  the  great  herds  of  Fur  Seals  which  constitutt 
the  chief  wealth  of  Alaska ;  and  although  the  two  species  differ  in  their  character 
still  they  are  found  peacefully  occupying  the  saiuo  or  adjacent  breeding -grounds. 
The  Aleutians  even  aver  that  the  Sea  Lion  and  the  Fur  Seal  sometimes  cohabit 
together. 

The  principal  rookery  of  Sea  Lions  on  St.  Paul  Island  is  near  its  north-east 
point ;  and  to  this  place  the  natives  resort,  between  the  toils  of  the  Fur  Seal 
season,  to  make  their  annual  "drive"  to  their  village,  which  is  clustered  about  the 
slope  and  glen  of  the  opposite  shore.  This  "drive,"  to  the  good-natured  Aleuts, 
is  what  the  buffalo -hunt  has  been  to  the  red -skins  on  the  plains  of  the  Platte,  or 
matanza- time  with  the  old  Californians ;  for  the  pi  Hy  starts  out  as  on  a  sport'  j 
foray,  and  at  night  they  stealthily  get  between  the  herd  of  Sea  Lions  and  the 
water;  then,  with  professional  strategy,  they  manage  to  "cut  out"  six  or  eight 
of  the  largest  at  a  time,  and  drive  them  a  short  distance  inland,  whore  they  are 
guarded  until  a  band  of  two  or  three  hundred  are  assembled.  Formerly  the 
implement  used  in  driving  was  a  pole  with  a  small  flag  at  the  end ;  but,  since  our 
adopted  country-folk  have  become  more  Americanized,  that  Yankee  production,  a 
cotton  umbrella,  has  been  substituted,  and  it  is  said  that  any  refractory  siuich  in 
the  "drive"  is  instantly  subdued  by  the  sudden  expansion  and  contraction  of  an 
umbrella  in  the  hands  of  a  pursuing  native. 

To  collect  the  desired  number  for  the  yearly  supply  involves  several  days ; 
therefore  a  throng  of  villagers,  it  is  said,  sntfi  -out  prepared  with  everything  needful 
for  the  campaign.  As  the  work  of  driving  goes  on  only  at  night,  the  Jay  is 
passed  in  sleeping  and  cooking  their  food  by  smoldering  fires  of  drift-wood  and 
seal -fat,  sheltered  by  their  umbrellas,  or  a  sort  of  tent  contrived  by  spreading 
bl"  ikcts  and  garments  over  whales'  ribs  in  lieu  of  tent- poles — never  forgetting  in 
their  repast  the  fragrant  chi,  which  is  quaffed  in  numberless  cups  from  the  steam- 


THE   SEA    LION.  137 

ing  aam-o-var.  At  length,  the  whole  troop  of  animals  being  assembled,  a  flt-sh 
of  umbrellas  here  and  there,  with  the  call  of  the  herdsmen,  brings  all  into  moving 
phalanx.  But  the  time  for  driving  must  be  either  at  night,  after  the  dew  is  fallen, 
or  upon  a  dark,  misty,  or  rainy  day ;  as  the  thick  mat  of  grass  that  covers  the 
land  must  be  wet,  in  order  that  the  animals  may  easily  slip  along  in  their  vaulting 
gait  over  the  green  road  to  their  place  of  execution.  Under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances,  the  march  does  not  exceed  six  miles  in  twenty- four  hours;  and  it 
being  a  distance  of  four  leagues  or  more  to  the  village,  three  days  and  nights,  or 
more,  are  spent  before  they  arrive  at  the  slaughtering  place.  There  they  are  allowed 
to  remain  quiet  for  a  day,  to  cool  their  blood,  which  becomes  much  beated  by 
the  tedious  journey ;  after  which,  they  are  killed  by  shooting.  The  cead  animalo 
are  then  skinned,  and  their  hides  packed  in  tiers  until  fermented  sufiBcicntly  to 
start  the  hair,  when  they  are  stretched  on  frames  to  dry,  and  eventually  become 
the  covering  or  planking  for  the  Aleutian  baidarkas  and  baidarras.  The  fat  is  taken 
off  and  used  for  fuel,  or  the  oil  is  rendered  to  burn  in  their  lamps.  The  flesh  is 
cut  in  thin  pieces  from  the  carcass,  laid  in  the  open  air  to  dry,  and  becomes  a 
choice  article  of  food,  '."^hc  sinews  are  extracted,  and  afterward  twisted  into  thread. 
The  lining  of  the  animal's  throat  is  put  through  a  course  of  tanning,  and  then  made 
into  boots,  the  soles  of  which  are  the  under  covering  of  the  Sea  Lion's  fin -like 
feet.  The  intestines  are  carefully  taken  out,  cleaned,  blown  up,  stretched  to  dry, 
then  tanned,  and  worked  into  water -proof  clothing.  The  stomach  is  emptied  of  its 
contents,  turned  inside  out,  then  inflated  and  dried  for  oil -bottles,  or  it  is  used  as 
a  receptacle  for  the  preserved  meat ;  and  what  remains  of  the  once  formidable  and 
curious  animal  is  only  a  mutilated  skeleton. 

Crossing  Bohring  and  the  Okhotsk  seas,  to  the  coasts  of  Siberia,  including  the 
peninsula  of  Kamschatka  and  the  island  of  Saghalion,  the  mode  of  capture  by  the 
natives  changes  from  that  of  the  eastern  continental  shores.  The  inlets  and  rivers 
of  those  Asiatic  regions  swarm  with  salmon  from  Juno  to  September,  and  at  this 
season  the  seals  follow,  and  proy  upon  them  as  they  ascend  the  streams.  The 
natives  then  select  such  places  as  will  be  left  nearly  bare  at  low  tide,  and  there 
set  their  nets — which  are  made  of  seal-thongs  —  to  strong  stakes,  so  placed  as  to 
form  a  curve  open  to  the  confluence  of  the  stream.  These  nets  are  similar  to  gill- 
nets,  the  meshes  being  of  a  size  to  admit  the  seal's  head — which  gives  free  passage 
to  the  shoals  of  fish  —  and  the  pursuing  animal,  as  soon  as  entangled  in  the  net, 
struggles  forward  in  its  efforts  to  escape,  but  is  held  firmly  in  the  meshes,  where 
it  remains  till  low  water,  when  the  natives,  in  their  flat-bottomed  skin- boats, 
approach  and  dispatch  the  victim  with  their  rude  bono  implements.      As  the  season 

M/snii  MA1IIUU.-M. 


138         MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN   COAST. 

becomes  warm,  the  animals  of  both  sexes  congregate  in  their  favorite  rookeries,  and 
the  females  climb  to  the  most  inaccessible  places  among  the  rocks  and  crags,  to 
bring  forth  and  nurture  their  offspring.  But  here  they  are  hunted  by  the  natives 
accustomed  to  the  use  of  fire-arms,  who  shoot  them  for  the  skins  of  the  young 
f  ones,  which  are  used  for  clolaing. 

In   this   region   also,   during   the   spring  and   fall,   after   the   "net-sealing"    is 

over,  great  numbers  of  Sea  Lions  are  captured  upon  the  floating  ice,  with  gun  or 

I    i  spear;   and  during  the  rigorous  months,  the  seal -hunters  cut  through  the  congealed 

mass  what  they  terra  "breathing -holes."      Through  these  the  seals  emerge  to  the 

,  A  frosted    surface,   and,    if   the  sun   peers    through    the  wintery  clouds,   the   creature, 

i|  warmed  into  new  life,  may  stroll   hundreds  of  yards  away;    the   watchful  hunter, 

I  secreted  behind  a  cake  of  ice  or  a  bank  of  snow,  rushes  out  from  his  covert,  and 

I  places  a  covering  over  the  hole,  effectually  preventing  the  animal's  escape,  and  then 

dispatches  it  with   knife  and  spear.      Its  skin  is  stripped  off,  scraped  clean,  closely 
jl  rolled,  and  laid  away  until  the  hair  starts — this  process  is  called  "souring;"  then 

the  hair  is  scoured  off,  and  the  bare  hide  is  stretched  to  season — a  process  usually 

,1  requiring  about  ten  days — when  it  is  taken  down  and  rubbed  between  the  hands 

h  to  make  it  pliable  ;  this  completes  the  whole  course  of  dressing  it.      The  prenared 

)'i  hides  are  then  converted  into  harness  for  the  sledge -dogs  and  reindeer,  and  water- 

'  If 

5'i  proof  bags;  if  wanted  for  the  soles  of  moccasins,  or  to  cover  their  skin- boats,  they 

are  dried  with  the  hair  on,  and  become  nearly  as  stiff  as  plates  of  iron.  The  blub- 
ber of  -the  animals,  if  killed  in  the  fall  or  winter,  is  preserved  by  freezing,  and  is 
used  for  food,  fuel,  and  lights,  as  desired;  while  the  same  part  of  tl  ■«"  taken 
during  the  spring  and  summer  is  put  in  the  skins  of  young  seals,  and  piaced  in 
earthen  vaults,  where  it  keeps  fresh  until  required  for  consumption.  The  residue 
;  of  the  animal  is  tumbled  into  a  reservoir,  sunk   below  the  surface  of   the  ground, 

where  it  is  kept  for  the  winter's  supply  of  food  for  the  dogs,  which  live  upon 
the  frozen  flesh  and  entrails  of  the  seals,  whose  skin  furnishes  the  tackle  by 
which  they  transport  the  primitive  sledge  over  the  snow -clad  wastes  of  Siberia  and 
Eamschatka 

In  the  southern  regions,  the  Sea  Lion  is  but  rarely  pursued  by  the  aborigines; 
for  the  Fuegians,  who  are  so  little  elevated  above  the  beast,  have  no  means  of 
capturing   the  animal,  as   have   the  Aleuts   and   Koraks   of  the   north ;   and   those 

ji  degraded   types  of  humanity,  who  wander  about   the  shores  of  Tierra  del   Fuogo, 

partake  of  the  same  food  as  do  the  amphibious  herds.  But  the  Patagonians  are 
sometimes  found  clothed  in  long  mantles  of  Sea  Lion  skins,  and  the  seal  is  other- 
wise utilized  by  them.     Along  the  coasts  of  Chile  and  Peru,  the  inflated  skins  of 


THE    SEA    LION. 


the  Sea  Lion  are  frequently  used  instead  of  the  wooden  laha,  or  catamaran  The 
vast  herds  of  these  marine  animals,  to  the  far  north  and  south,  do  not  materially 
dimmish,  as  they  are  hunted  by  the  natives  solely  for  domestic  consumption  •  but 
those  on  our  California  shores  will  soon  be  exterminated  by  the  deadly  shot  of  the 
rifle,  or  driven  away  to  less  accessible  haunts. 


CHAPTER    III. 
THE    BANDED    SEAL. 

HiSTiaoPBOcA  EQUESTBiB,  OUl.     (Plate  xxi,  fig.  1,  2.) 

Of  this  beautifully  marked  animal,  which  attains  the  length  of  six  or  eight  feet, 
there  is  but  very  little  known.  Its  geographical  distribution  is  said  to  extend  east- 
ward to  Amoor  land.  It  is  found  upon  the  coast  of  Alaska,  bordering  on  Behring 
Sea,  and  the  natives  of  Ounalaska  recognize  it  as  an  occasional  visitor  to  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands.  It  is  said  to  be  found  in  greater  numbers  on  the  Asiatic  coast  than 
on  the  American.  In  April,  1852,  we  observed  a  herd  of  seals  upon  the  beaches 
i  ,j  at   Point    Reyes,    California;    these,    without    close    examination,    answered    to    the 

1^   i{  description  given   by  Gill,  which  is  as  follows:      "The  species  is   remarkable  for 

'  color  as  well  as  structural  peculiarities.      The  male  is  at  once  recognizable  by  the 

color,  and  this  may  be  said  to  be  a  chocolate  brown,  except  (1)  a  band  of  whitish 
yellow,  bent  forward  toward  the  crown  around  the  neck;  (2),  an  oval  ring  of  the 
J  same  color  on  each  side,  encircling  the  fore  feet  and  passing  in  front  just  before 

them ;  and  ( 3 )  another  band,  also  bent  forward  above,  behind  the  middle  of  the 
trunk.  There  is  considerable  variation  in  extent  of  these  bands,  and  sometimes  the 
puribrachial  rings  are  more  or  less  confluent  with  the  posterior  band.  The  females 
are  simply  whitish  yellow,  or  have  very  indistinct  traces  of  the  pastmidian  ba^d." 
Although  we  are  quite  confident  the  seals  we  saw  on  Point  Reyes  were  the  same 
as  those  described  by  Gill,  still  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  we  have  never  seen 
this  species  on  the  coast  of  California  since.  The  Russian  traders,  who  formerly 
visited  Cape  Romanzoff,  from  St.  Michael's,  Norton  Sound,  frequently  brought  back 
the  skins  of  the  male  Histriophoca,  which  were  used  for  covering  trunks  and  for 
other  ornamental  purposes. 


I 


"  V 


^ 


>»Mf^..-' 


^■vfy 


l»v 


i    ■. 


'■?■■ 


ll* 


■:*:■ 


■i. 


'M 


t.-AI.J,C.iHV 
.    '1  ■'    I.  -  'J. 


r 

,k. 

■*,.■><•■ 


CHAPrER    III. 


Of  liii.  b'*siutiful]y  inark.'d  a!>ra:il,  Mi':!',  atliiitss  the  IcnglJi  of  si \-  or  eight  fcH, 
{!)i;rc  !»  'ill  vw-_v  JiUif  kn.'wn,  ft-  gengriphiiMi!  r!i-<i,ri!ji?liiii>  i.5  ^ivid  to  f.--Mi.  .:aiti- 
wird  fa  Amoor  land.  Ii  is  f.nind  uprn  the  coayt  of  Alaska,  b.irdoriup  un  Hcl.riiijj 
BcT,  and  I'io  natives  of  Otmalark;).  lecotrnize  it  ts  an  ocLisionsil  visitor  to  thf  Aleu- 
u;at  inlands  \\.  is  said  to  be  foiiiid  in  Lrrritor  numberfj  O"  iho.  Asiatic  ■•oa;t  ihan 
on  t'' :  Amoriean.  In  April.  ISoJ,  v,o  obsor  'ed  a  herd  of  swil.-,  upon  th  •  bea  hes 
at    Po.it    Reyo.s,    ('nlif.vrniA ;    \\\^^<i,    without    clo*<'    examiliati'-n.    unswerod    t>    the; 


do  30 


■rq,:i.iOTi    «3;u"e:. 


IV' li 


!.«( 


foU 


ows  : 


'The 


^p<^^■  H    );.     K-y-Xi.  •■ii'til.'    for 


i-.    Hi4,r    jocuapriu"^.      Tbo  male   is  ut   on;::-!   recogm/At  »<■    ■•    :.!.<> 
^7«i_t   b.-  said  *>  b'^  ii  rhoovUt-  l;>ro-.*-;v    ex^**!}!:  ;!>  »  H*ad  of  v,i».«.i^ii 


t^.  >ii    ■     i-i    ••■'•■ 
*«!  -     rO/'V'     ';-T    >v>Jir'i     ;;.](*)     -'«•■■■  *,>ir,ii:    Mi;'    'V-i>     j;w  .      v.-    ;>;.*s»-u,^,     i^     (Xt^i     ^Hrf    ti.<>f«»>t!' 

UuM  1%A  ■-  i,  c;  ^;^,f!^M■*i:^f  ■!>(>..'■•&  1  ,-Av^'ijJ  ■!>(  'bi:--*-  bivtids,  A\A  Eoiiiotiniea  the 
pnnbr;ii>bijil  riu,;?  ii!f<  ^i\o»..>  -i  b-^'=  ^<)ivrb,«'Hfc  with  fUu  pcsterior  band.  Tho  ^'cmalos 
ai.-  simjdy  wliit;  h  yo 'o^^  "v  uavo  vovy  ind!stiii<;t  tn-os  of  tiie  ■nait.rK'diufi  band." 
Altliougb  n.:  ill  fiuile  eoi.  •  dent  tbo  y<^nbi  wo  ,^iiw  on  Point  Hoy.,-,  w  r,  the  fun:.e 
a;i  t!inj<f>  f'csoribed  by  Ciii-  tti!!  3t  i.-;  a m.'iarkitble  fact  tbai  w>  np.'  ^.evo?  sten 
<!:^  >«pocies  0*1  iIm  coust  uf  Califomi.i  i-;nce,  Tho  Burf:  m  t.  iv -%  ivbo  for/nerlv 
vit- ■•.'(;  rutie  lUmiunvo.'T,  from  l-it.  Mici'-dol's,  Korton  Soun''  trt*j.  -j.i' ■  brought  back 
th.;    >.k- .'     -.f  tho  Ti.iu\^  I'^»tmphoou  which   wove   used   for   v-iivi-.*^   insuks   aud    ft>r 

other    .     :V.iK»}.'iUflJl    jmrjK>lSf:«. 


? 


P'ij.t..'  XXl 


}3ANl)>':i)  Sl'lAl,  I  IHS'rKIOPlIOCA  KQUKSTKI.S  ]   GIU, 

I.MALK-   2  ■  female: 


'  .'r^^camman  del 


l''Un  .SKrtT,,  ,  rAl.I.OHU  INIJS  DK.SINU.S.  I   JHAY 

I     M  -M.i:-  2   1-  t  MALK 


if; 


r  H  -J 


CHAPTER    IV. 
FUR  SEALS. 

The  Nobthebh  Tub  Seai,  (CAixoBHuros  ubsinus,  Gray.)     (Plate  xxi,  fig.  1,  2.) 

The  Fur  Seals  have  so  wide  a  geographical  range— extending  nearly  to  the 
highest  navigable  latitudes  in  both  the  northern  and  southern  hemispheres— and 
are  found  assembled  in  such  countless  numbers  at  their  favorite  resorts,  that  they 
become  at  once  a  source  of  great  commercial  wealth ;  and,  among  marine  mammalia, 
they  are  the  most  interesting  we  have  met  with.  Captain  Fanning— one  of  the 
noted  sealing -masters  in  early  times— distinguished  the  different  ages  and  sexes  as 
follows:  "Full-aged  males,  called  'wigs;'  the  females,  'clapmatches;'  those  not  quite 
so  old,  'bulls;'  all  the  half- grown  of  both  sexes,  'yearlings;'  the  young  of  nearly 
a  year  old,  called  'gray'  or  'silvered  pups;'  and  before  their  coats  are  changed 
to  this  shade,  called  '  black  pups.' " 

The  color  of  the  full-grown  males,  or  "wigs,"  is  dark  brown— with  scattering 
hairs  of  white  about  the  head,  neck,  and  anterior  portion  of  the  body— and,  in 
some  instances,  nearly  approaches  to  black.  At  a  distance,  it  is  difficult  to  distin- 
guish between  an  old  "wig"  and  a  full-grown  male  Sea  Lion  of  the  California 
coast,  the  former  being  frequently  found  measuring  nine  feet  from  tip  of  nose  to 
extremity  of  posterior  flippers. 

The  "clapmatches"  average  fully  one-half  the  length  of  the  largest  "wigs,"  and 
the  greater  portion  of  them  are  of  a  silver -gray  color;  the  very  oldest,  however, 
are  dark  brown  on  the  back  and  sides,  with  scattering  white  hairs  over  all.  The  fur 
is  reddish  brown  inside.  The  thick  mixture  of  black,  glistening  hairs  imparts  the 
dark  hue  to  the  oldest  animals,  and  the  white  hairs  on  the  younger  ones  give  them 
the  silvery  lustre.  Both  old  and  young  are  of  lighter  shade  underneath,  particu- 
larly about  the  pectorals  and  posterior  portions  of  the  body.  The  layer  of  fat,  or 
blubber,  between  the  skin  and  flesh,  may  average  one  and  a  half  inch  in  thickness, 
varying  according  to  the  time  the  animal   has   been  on  shore— it  being  very  fat 


»-i 


[141] 


.1  I 


!  i    I       .' 


142  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN  COAST. 

when  the  season   begins,  and  very  lean  when  the  season   is  over,  which  changes 

the  animal's  appearance  considerably  from  its   former  robust  condition.  When  in 
full  flesh,  the  adult  females  weigh  about  eighty -five  pounds. 

Following  are   measurements   of  five   female   Fur   Seals,  taken   at   the   mouth 
of  the  Strait  of  San  Juan  de  Fuca,  in  the  spring  of  18G9 : 

No.  I.  No.  3.  No  3. 

Length  of  animal  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail 4  0  4    7  4    0 

Length  of  taU 0  IJ  0    2  0    H 

Length  of  posterior  flippers 1  4  1    6  1    4 

Extreme  width  of  posterior  flippers  when  expanded 0  8  0    8  0    7 

Tvoiu  end  of  posterior  flippers  to  nails  or  claws  on  same  ....       0  6  06 

Length  of  nails  or  claws 0  Of  0    Of 

From  tip  of  nose  to  ear 0  6J  0    6^  0    6 

Length  of  each  ear 0  1 J  0    IJ  0    If 

Length  of  under  jaw 0  2  0    2^  0    2 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0  2^  0    2f  0    2J 

Length  of  fissure  between  the  eyelids 0  1 J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  pectorals 1  11  2    0  1  10 

Length  of  each  pectoral 1  2  1    2  1    2 

Width  of  each  pectoral 0  5  0    5  0    4f 

Circumference  of  body  just  behind  pectorals 2  7  ^    0  2    6 


No.  4.  No.  S. 

Length  of  animal  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail 4    9  3    6 

Length  of  tail 0    2  0    IJ 

Length  of  posterior  flippers .    1    5  1    3 

Breadth  of  posterior  flippers  when  expanded 0    7 

From  end  of  posterior  flippers  to  nails 0    3 

Length  of  nail,?  on  posterior  flippers 0    Of 

From  tip  of  nose  to  pectorals 1    4 

Length  of  pectorals 12  11 

Width  of  pectorals 0    5  0    4J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  ear 0    6 

Lengtii  of  each  ear 0    IJ 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0    2J 

Length  of  under  jaw 0    2 

Circumference  of  body  just  behind  pectorals 3    1  2    2J 

The  succeeding  figures  afford  a  general  illustration  of  the  forms,  or  proportions, 
of  the  animals,  when  in  various  attitudes.     The  zincograph  (No.  1)  of  the  full -aged 

male  gives  a  good  representation  of  the  animal's  anterior  figure,  as  well  as  imparting. 


t! 


'-     i 


FVR    SEALS. 


143 


to  some  degree,  the  surly  expression  ever  present  with  those  veterans  who  have 
fought  for  prestige  upon  the  rookeries  many  successive  seasons.  Xo.  2  is  an 
excellent  representation  of  a  female  head  when  seen  in  that  position.  Xo.  3 
affords  a  good  idea  of  the  outline  of  the  head  (side  view),  and  the  expression 
of  the  ham. less  mother,  who  bears  her  offspring,  and  submits  to  the  harsh  treat- 
ment of  her  male  companion  and  master,  without  manifest  complaint  or  resistance. 


No.  I. — Full-aged  Male  Fur  Seal,  St.  Paul's  Island.    (Drawn  hy  Elliott.) 


Xos.  4  and  5  represent  the  relative  proportions  of  a  female,  (view  from  side  and 
below,  which  were  drawn  from  a  dead  animal,  verified  by  measurements.  X"o.  C 
illustrates  the  familiar  attitudes  of  Fur  Seals  of  both  sexes,  more  especially  the 
younger  animals,  or  those  supposed  to  be  three  or  four  years  old. 

It  is  very  rarely  that  the  "clapmatch"  has  more  than  one  pup.  Out  of  twenty- 
two  individuals  examined,  not  one  was  found  with  twins ;  and  the  Indians  about 
Fuca  Strait  say  they  never  have  seen  two  foetuses  in  the  same  seal.     They  have, 


144  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

however,  two  teats  each  side  of  the  belly,  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  corners  of  the 
mouth  and  the  posterior  limbs.  While  taking  measurements  of  some  "clapmatches" 
at  the  summer  village  of  Kiddy  Kubbit,  situated  near  the  mouth  and  on  the  south 
side  of  the  strait,  where  the  animals  lay  in  one  of  the  large  lodges,  the  women 
were  engaged  in  skinning  them  and  trying  out  the  oil  from  the  blubber.  The 
question  arose,  whether  a  Fur  Seal  ever  had  more  than  one  pup  at  a  birth.  A  bevy 
of  squaws  discussed  the  subject  with  great  spirit,  raising  such  a  din  about  our  ears 
that  nothing  else  could  be  heard  ;  at  last,  a  herculean  kbochman  clutched  a  knife, 
and  slashing  into  the  seals,  brought  forth  one  pup  only  from  each  individual,  and, 
with  a  knowing  look  as  well  as  a  multitude  of  words,  gave  us  to  understand  that 
this  examination,  together  with  past  experience  in  the  matter,  was  proof  positive 
that  the  offspring  of  this  species  of  mammalia  did  not  come  in  pairs. 

The  time  of  gestation  has  been  supposed  to  be  about  nine  months,  but  later 
observations  at  the  seal  islands  of  Behring  Sea  prove  it  to  be  at  least  ten  months, 
or  more.  The  pups,  when  first  born,  arc  about  one -third  the  length  of  the  mother. 
They  are  covered  with  a  thick  mat  of  coarse  fur,  which  changes  to  a  finer  texture 
and  lighter  shade  as  the  animals  mature.  The  time  of  bringing  forth  the  young 
("pupping  season"),  on  the  coast  of  California,  is  from  May  to  August,  including 
a  part  of  both  months ;  on  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  and  the  latitudes  near  Cape 
Horn,  from  October  to  March. 

The  flippers  of  the  Fur  Seal  are  destitute  of  hair,  T)eing  covered  with  tough, 
black  skin,  similar  to  shagreen,  which  is  very  flexible  about  the  terminations  of 
their  extremities ,  the  side  limbs  are  shaped  much  like  the  fins  of  the  smaller 
Cetaceans  ;  the  posterior  ones  have  each  five  distinct  toes,  or  digits,  ai.d  three  nails, 
or  claws,  project  from  their  upper  sides,  four  inches  or  more  from  their  tips,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  and  age  of  the  animal.  The  tail  is  extremely  short,  and  pointed. 
The  ears  are  quite  pointed  also,  slanting  backward,  and  are  covered  with  short,  fine 
hair.  The  head,  in  proportion,  is  longer  and  sharper  than  that  of  the  Leopard  Seal. 
The  number  of  whiskers  on  each  side  of  the  face  may  average  twenty ;  they  arc 
of  difforent  shades,  from  blackish  brown  to  white,  and  frequently  attain  the  length 
of  seven  inches.  The  eyes  f\VQ  invariably  dark  and  glistening,  and  have  a  human- 
like expression. 

The  intrinsic  value  -of  the  animal  does  not  depend  upon  the  price  of  its  skin 
alone ;  for  the  layer  of  fat  adhering  to  it  yields  the  oil  of  commerce,  and  supplies 
liglit  and  heat  to  the  natives  in  their  dismal  winter  quarters.  The  flesh,  likewise, 
affords  them  a  staple  article  of  food.  Fanninr;,  as  well  as  other  early  voyagers, 
speaks  of  the  flesh  of  the  Fur  Seal  pups,  when  six  weeks  old  or  more,  as  being 


FUR    SEALS. 


U5 


N 
* 


I 


5< 

tr. 

C 

X 

p 


o 
u 


MARntE  &UUMAU.  —  1 


146 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


equal  to  the  best  mutton,  :.f  properly  cooked.  Notwithstanding,  after  repeated 
trials,  we  confess  our  preference  for  the  latter.  The  hearts  and  livers  of  young 
seals,  whether  of  the  Fur  or  Lair  species,  are  excellent ;  but  we  would  advise  those 
fond  of  fiesh  meat  not  to  witness  the  killing  of  the  animals  and  the  extraction  of 
those  choice  portions  of  them.  The  employes  of  the  Russian  -  American  Company 
frequently  salted  seal  meat  for  ship's  use,  when  a  supply  of  beef  could  not  be 
obtained. 

The  habits  of  the  Fur  Seals  differ  in  several  respects  from  those  of  the  numerous 
Hair  species.  One  of  their  most  remarkable  traits  is  their  extended  geographical 
range.  To  give  a  clear  idea  of  their  varied  haunts  as  regards  climate  and  diversity 
of  locality,  we  may  mention  the  following  as  among  their  favorite  resorting  places : 
The  coast  of  Patagonia,  west  coast  of  Africa,  Falklands,  New  South  Shetlands,  South 
Georgia,  southern  coast  of  Chile,  island  of  Masafuero,  Lobos  Islands  (on  the  coast 
of  Peru),  Galapagos  Islands  (off  the  coast  of  Ecuador),  the  islands  of  Desolation, 
Crozets,  and  St.  Paul's  iu  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  St.  Paul  and  St.  'leorge  islands 
(Behring  Sea),  and  Ptobin  and  Jonas  islands  in  the  Okhotsk  Sea.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  these  curious  animals  are  inhabitants  of  the  antipodes  of  the  globe,  and 
bask  in  a  tropical  sun  as  well  as  cadure  the  rigors  of  the  icy  regions  of  the  Arctic 
and  Antarctic. 

Some  idea  may  bo  had  of  their  numbers  in  former  years,  when  on  the  island 
of  Masafuero,  on  the  coast  of  Chile — which  is  not  over  twenty- five  miles  in  circum- 
ference—  the  American  ship  Betsey,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Fanning,  iu  the 
year   1798,*  obtained  a  full  cargo  of  choice  skins.     It  was  estimated  at  the   time 


*  At  the  present  day,  when  the  American 
Bhipu  that  double  Capo  Horn,  and  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  are  magnificent  types  of  naval  arch- 
itecture compared  with  those  of  the  early  voy- 
ages, a  reminiscer'  note,  relative  to  the  Betsey, 
her  owners,  ctmmander,  and  ship's  company, 
is  nf  peculiar  interest,  as  portraying  the  char- 
acter of  i^W  those  who,  at  that  period,  entered 
80  praotiaally  yiet  cqth'isiastically  into  commer- 
cial pursuits.  "  Iu  t|^o  rarly  part  of  the  month 
of  May,  1797,"  w»itp8  Ciiptifii)  Fftpijing,  "it  wos 
the  good  fortune  of  tljo  aifthov  to  n^oftt  ,at  New 
York  with  Captain  John  Wlfotten,  a  gent|pn)w 
distinguished  as  an  able  navigator,  and  at  tho 
time  in  command  of  the  ship  Ontario,  in  the 
China   trade,     With   him  originated,   and   with 


him  also  was  the  project  first  discussed,  of  fit- 
ting out  a  suitab'  vessel,  which  should  proceed 
to  the  South  Sc  .s,  there  to  procure  a  cargo  of 
Fur  Seal  skins,  and  with  this  cargo  thence  to 
cross  the  Pacific  for  the  Canton  market,  where 
the  article  wos  well  ascertained  to  bo  greatly  in 
demand,  and  held  at  prices  that  furnished  good 
grounds  upon  which  to  hope  that  a  very  hand- 
some profit  would  be  realized.  Another  groat 
inducement  hold  out  in  favor  of  the  attempt, 
was  the  probability  that  (Captain  Whetten  him- 
self, in  the  Ontario,  would  bo  at  Canton  at 
^bput  tho  period  of  the  an'ival  there  (which 
would  bo  iu  our  fall  part  of  the  year,  say  the 
month  of  September,  October,  or  November)  of 
any  vessel  shortly  fitted  out.    The  intimate  knowl  • 


^UR    SEALS, 


J47 


148 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    XORTII-WESTERX    COAST. 


that  thcro  wore  left  on  the  island  at  least  five  huiulrod  thousand  seals.  Subse- 
quently, there  were  taken  from  the  island  but  littk'  short  of  one  million  skins. 

The  seal  fishery  was  extensively  prosecuted  for  many  years  by  our  countr3'men. 
The  sealing  fleet  on  the  coast  of  Chile  alone,  in  1801,  amounted  to  thirty  vessels, 
many  of  which  were  ships  of  the  larger  class,  and  nearly  aii  were  under  the  Amer- 
ican flag.  Up  to  the  present  day,  American  vessels  are  the  pioneers  in  the  moat 
remote  and  unexplored  regions,  where\xr  the  migratory  animals  are  to  be  found  in 
suflicient  numbers  to  induce  that  class  of  our  seamen  who  are  fond  of  a  sportsman's 
life,  in  addition  to  that  of  sea- faring,  to  embark  in  the  enterprise. 

In  the  midst  of  the  Crimean  War,  an  enterprising  firm  in  Xew  London,  Con- 
necticut, fitted  out  a  clipper  bark,  which  was  oflicered  and   manned  expressly  for  a 


edge  Captain  "Whetten  had  of  tbo  mauiier  of  doing 
business  with  these  iicople,  and  the  great  assist- 
ance he  could  afford,  being  conversant  in  all 
Iheir  intricate  trade,  and  in  the  jiurchasing  of 
silks  and  other  articles  for  the  New  York  mar- 
ket, as  our  homeward  cargo,  were  certainly  such 
arguments  as  were  well  calculated  to  increase 
the  confidence  of  success  in  the  contemplated 
V03age.  This  -was  an  opportunity  not  to  be  loft 
unimproved ;  and  to  one  naturally  possessed  of 
an  ambitious  and  aspiring  mind,  with  a  strong 
attachment  to  a  seaman's  profession,  increased 
as  it  had  been,  since  my  first  visit  to  the  South 
Seas,  by  a  perusal  of  the  voyages  of  such  cir- 
cumnavigators as  Drake,  Byron,  Anson,  Bougan- 
villo,  Cook,  and  others,  the  hope  of  being  able 
to  add  some  new  discoveries  to  the  knowledge 
already  in  the  possession  of  man  relating  to 
those  seas,  and  the  no  less  flattering  hope  of 
realizing  a  fortune  should  the  enterprise  be  well 
conducted  and  successful  in  its  termination,  were 
sufficient  to  bind  mo  to  esert  myself  in  bringing 
about  this  de'-irod  voyage.  Every  view  was  en- 
couraging; but  funds  were  necessary,  and  to 
raise  these  without  delay,  I  applied  to  that  up- 
right and  liberal  merchant,  Mr.  Elias  Ncxscn, 
with  whom  also  to  consult  and  advise  upon  the 
best  means  of  securing  the  early  fitting -out  and 
sailing  of  the  enterprise.  To  the  information 
and   encouragement   given  by  Captain  Whetten, 


■\,  •..  1    my   own    stroug    confidence    in    its 

praci  'ty,  and  the  flattering  results  that  such 

an  adventure  held  forth.  The  plan  met  with 
his  entire  approval,  and  after  some  convers.'\tion 
with  Captain  Wlictten,  on  'Change  that  day,  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  same  he  made  the  offer  of 
his  brig,  the  lietsaj,  then  in  port.  She  was 
New  York  built,  a  little  short  of  one  hundred 
tons,  and  an  excellent  vessel  of  her  class.  'If 
she  will  answer,'  said  ho,  '  I  will  put  her  into 
the  business,  and  at  whatever  price,  upon  a  mi- 
nute inspection,  her  value  shall  be  ascertained 
to  be,  I  will  take  the  one -half  in  the  adventure 
of  the  vessel,  and  hor  outfits.'  I  was  imable," 
adds  ;he  captain,  "to  take  more  than  one-eighth 
myself,  but  the  remaining  three  worn,  by  the 
evening  of  the  same  day,  taken  by  other  friends, 
and.  thus  the  w'hole  amount  required  to  insure 
the  sailing  of  the  vessel  wos  made  up.  An  in- 
ventory was  taken,  agreeably  to  the  imderstand- 
ing  at  the  commencement,  by  which  the  value 
of  the  vessel  was  ascertained,  and  made  Batis- 
factory  to  all  concerned.  In  less  than  a  month 
from  the  time  the  enterprise  was  first  enter- 
tained, the  Betiteij  sailed  from  Now  York,  to  stop 
at  New  Haven  (the  native  place  of  Mr.  Caleb 
Brintnall,  the  first  oflicer,  a  groat  disciplinarian), 
and  afterward  at  Stonington,  to  obtain  and  com- 
plete her  complement  of  men,  in  all  twenty- 
seven  :    for    it    had    been    concluded    to   bo    the 


FUll    SEALS. 


149 


( ..^*»«..jj.i 


No.  4. — SiDF,  View  of  Femai.k  Fur  Seal. 


No.  5. — View  op  Female  Fur  Seal  from  p'.low. 


No.  6.  — Attitudes  of  Fur  Seals, 


150 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


sealing  voyage  in  the  Okhotsk  Saa.  The  captain  was  a  vetoian  in  the  business,  and 
many  thought  him  too  old  to  command,  but  the  result  of  the  voyage  proved  him 
equal  to  the  task.  The  vessel  proceeded  to  Robin  Island — a  mere  volcanic  rock, 
situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  large  island  of  Saghalien.  Many  outlying  rocks 
and  reefs  are  about  it,  making  it  dangerous  to  approach,  and  affording  but  slight 
shelter  for  an  anchorage.  Here  the  vessel  (of  about  three  hundred  tons)  lay,  with 
ground-tackle  of  the  weight  for  a  craft  of  twice  her  size.  Much  of  the  time 
fresh  winds  prevailed,  accompanied  by  the  usual  ugly  ground  -  swell ;  and,  in  conse- 
quence of  her  being  long,  low,  and  sharp,  the  deck  was  at  such  times  frequently 
flooded;  nevertheless,  she  "rode  out  the  whole  season,  though  wet  as  a  half- tide 
rock,"  and  a  valuable  cargo  of   skins  was   procured,  which   brought  an    unusually 


most  judicious  policy,  to  select  the  ^eatest  pro- 
portion of  them  from  the  New  England  States. 
Having  obtained  the  number  of  hands  required 
for  the  Betsey,  on  the  13th  day  of  June,  1797, 
the  vessel  was  got  under  way,  and  proceeded  to 
sea,  from  Stonington,  Connecticut.  When  off 
Watch -hill  Point,  (situated  about  nine  leagues 
to  the  northward  of  Montague  Light,  on  the 
east  end  of  Long  Island)  she  was  brcught  to, 
in  order  to  discliarge  the  pilot,  and  the  occasion 
was  embraced,  ab  the  best  suited  to  ascertain 
the  minds  and  inclinations  of  the  seamen.  All 
hands  were  therefore  mustered  on  deck,  aft,  and 
liberty  was  given  to  all  such  as  were  disinclined 
to  proceed  on  the  voyage — to  all  those  who  were 
un\vMv"  ,  to  encounter  the  dangers,  privations, 
and  sufiurings,  usually  attendant  on  similar  ex- 
peditions—  now  to  return  with  the  pilot.  Not- 
withstanding this,  no  one  seemed  so  inclined, 
but  all,  to  a  man,  answered,  their  desire  was  to 
proceed  on  the  voyage,  confirming  the  same  by 
three  hearty  cheers.  And  here  it  may  be  re- 
n.arked,  that  a  more  orderly  ond  clieerful  crew 
never  sailed  round  the  world  in  any  vessel.  The 
pilot  accordingly  returned  by  himself.  At  six 
P.M.  wo  took  our  departure  from  Block  Island, 
with  a  fine  breeze  from  the  southwest."  On 
their  passage  to  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  as 
related  on  the  ship's  log,  "At  four  p.m.  fell  in 
with  a  mast ;  sent  the  boat  to  tow  it  alongside ; 


hoisted  it  on  deck,  to  be  made  to  answer  any 
purpose  that  future  emergency  might  require." 
"While  on  the  passage  to  the  Cape  de  Verdes, 
by  the  expressed  wish  and  counsel  of  the  oflS- 
cers,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  alter  the  rig  of 
the  Betsey,  and  change  her  into  a  ship.  This, 
it  was  supposed,  and  afterward  ascertained  to 
be  the  fact,  would  be  greatly  to  our  advantage; 
for  while  laying  off  and  on  at  the  seal  islands, 
to  procure  our  cargo  of  Fur  Seal  skins,  the 
cabin-boy  alone  could  tend  and  work  a  mizzcn- 
topsail,  who  certainly  would  be  altogether  unable 
to  do  anything  with  the  heavy  boom  of  a  brig's 
fore -cd- aft  mainsail.  At  this  place  the  alter- 
ation was  carried  into  effect;  the  mizzen-mast, 
top,  spars,  rigging,  sails,  etc.,  were  already  in 
readiness,  and  the  armorer,  ot  his  forge  erected 
on  shore,  forged  and  made  the  chains  and  all 
the  other  requisite  iron -work,  so  that  the  mast 
was  stepped,  sails  bent,  and  the  Bclse\  igged 
into  a  ship  all  ready  for  sea,  in  five  days'  time. 
This  was  accomplished  without  one  dollar  extra 
expense  to  the  owners."  The  Betsey,  having  ob- 
tained supplies  at  the  Cape  de  Vordes,  sailed 
on  the  23d  day  of  July,  1797,  for  the  Falkland 
Islands,  whore  she  arrived  October  19tli  of  the 
same  year.  Not  finding  Fur  Seals  there  in  any 
considerable  numbers,  it  was  decided  to  double 
Cape  Horn  and  make  the  best  of  their  way  to 
the  Island  of  Masafuero ;  accordingly  they  sailed 


FUR    SEALS. 


151 


high  price  in  the  European  market,  on  account  of  the  regular  Russian  supply  being 
cut  ofT  in  consequence  of  the  war.  This  is  only  given  as  one  instance  of  the  many 
that  may  be  /elated  of  sealing  life. 

The  "season,"  as  understood  by  sealers,  is  the  time  the  animals  collect  in 
herds,  or  rookeries,  on  shore :  the  females  to  bring  forth  their  young,  and  copulate 
with  the  vigorous  males,  while  the  valiant  old  bulls  guard  the  rookeries,  until  all 
again  return  to  the  sea,  and  migrate  to  some  unknown  quarter.  A  few  days  before 
the  main  body  arrive,  a  number  of  old  "wige"  come  up  as  if  to  see  that  all  is 
right.  Frequently  the  innumerable  herd  have  been  seen,  in  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, fr<Hn  the  high  elevations  of  mountainous  islands,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
distinguisli  at  sea,  leaping  and   plunging  like  a  shoal  of  porpoises  until  nearing  the 


from  the  Falkland  Islands  December  8th,  1797, 
and  arrived  at  their  destination  January  20th, 
1798.  On  the  5th  day  of  April  following,  hav- 
ing obtained  a  full  cargo  of  selected  seal -skins, 
the  little  vessel  with  her  valuable  freight  depart- 
ed for  China.  On  the  passage  thence,  through 
the  trade  winds,  the  ship  was  unrigged  and 
rigged  again  from  deck  to  truck,  which  inci- 
dent Captain  Fanning  makes  mention  of  as  fol- 
lows: "Previous  to  the  ship's  departure  from 
New  York,  a  sufiScient  quantity  of  rope  for  a 
new  gang  of  standing  rigging  had  been  taken 
on  board ;  this  had  been  prepared,  during  our 
leisure  hours  heretofore,  and  fitted,  in  readiness 
to  go  over  the  must -head  when  necessary.  For 
several  days  past  the  trade  wind  had  not  veered 
more  than  two  points,  blowing  directly  on  our 
stem,  so  that  all  the  sails  which  would  be  of 
service,  could  be  set  on  one  mast.  This  was  a 
most  favorable  opportunity  for  replacing  our  old 
rigging  with  the  new;  we,  therefore,  hit  upon 
the  expedient  of  stripping  one  mast  at  a  time, 
and  accordingly  commenced  with  the  foremast, 
securing  it  well  by  purchases  and  tackles  at  the 
hounds,  before  letting  up  the  lower  rigging ; 
afterward,  putting  the  new  suit  on  the  lower- 
mast,  topmast,  etc.,  and  then  setting  all  taut  up 
preparatory  to  spreading  sail  upon  it.  As  soon 
as  everything  was  completely  ready,  this  was 
done,  and  thu  mainmast  served  in  a  like  man- 


ner. Our  carpenter  and  armorer  "were  first-rate 
workmen,  and  had  mode  a  set  of  machinery,  by 
means  of  which,  from  the  old  rigging,  we  laid 
a  new  set  of  running  rigging  throughout;  thus 
equipped,  our  ship,  as  respected  her  rigging, 
was  in  a  far  better  condition  than  when  she  left 
the  United  States."  We  will  add,  that  the  Bet- 
ney  was  an  armed  vessel,  which  carried  "eight 
four -pounders,  of  iron,  and  two  brass  long  sis- 
pounder  guns,"  with  a  ship's  company  of  twen- 
ty-seven officers  and  men.  This  pigmy  ship 
arrived  safely  at  Canton,  and  disposed  of  her 
valuable  furs  to  great  advantage.  A  China  cargo 
was  purchased,  and  when  received  on  board,  the 
vessel  Bailed  for  home  by  the  way  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  In  passing  through  the  Straits 
of  Sunda,  the  vessel  was  attacked  by  a  fleet  of 
twenty- nine  piratical  proas,  which  were  badly 
punished  by  her  gallant  crew.  Continuing  on 
her  course,  the  Belney,  which  sailed  as  a  brig 
upon  a  voyage  of  adventure  the  13th  day  of 
June,  1797,  returned  to  her  home -haven  on 
the  6th  day  of  April,  1799,  transformed  into  a 
full -rigged  ship,  having  accomplished  one  of  the 
most  successful  sealing  voyages  of  those  days. 
Furthermore,  the  author  states  "he  believes  it  to 
be  the  first  American  vessel,  manned  and  offi- 
cered wholly  by  native -bom  citizens,  that  ever 
sailed  around  the  world  from  the  port  of  New 
York." 


Hi 


162  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

shore ;  tlioii,  passing  througli  the  suvf,  tlioy  collect  upon  the  beaches,  and  divide 
into  families,  or  rookeries,  as  far  as  practicable.  These  families,  or  divisions, 
are  guarded  by  the  "wigs,"  who  can  only  maintain  their  authority  and  position 
at  the  expense  of  frequent  pitched  battles  with  others  of  their  sex  who  may 
attempt  to  displace  them.  They  also  keep  a  watchful  eye  over  the  numerous 
"clapmatches"  under  their  charge;  and  should  one  attempt  to  take  to  the  water, 
she  is  immediately  driven  back,  and  frequently  suffers  from  the  savage  bites  of  her 
master  for  attempting  to  escape.  It  is  no  unusual  occurrence,  in  the  height  of  the 
season,  to  see  two  full-grown  "wigs"  fight  by  the  hour,  exhibiting  much  tact  in 
their  assaults  upon  each  other,  both  endeavoring  to  gain  advantage  by  some  adroit 
movement — at  times  making  a  savage  lock  with  their  mouths,  or  seizing  each  other 
by  the  fore  flippers,  or  gashing  necks  and  bodies  with  their  sharp,  tusk- like  teeth. 
Sometimes  we  have  seen  several  old  males  together  on  a  separate  beach,  who 
were  cut  in  every  direction,  and  apparently  had  retired  from  the  main  herd,  being 
imable  to  continue  tlio  fight  in  consequence  of  waunds  received. 

Frequently,  many  thousands  of  seals  congregate  on  the  same  island.  They 
prefer  remote,  isolated  situations,  often  upon  barren  rocks  or  islands,  the  shores  of 
wliich  are  surrounded  by  a  high  surf,  in  which  they  delight  to  plaj\  They  some- 
times ascend  high,  precipitous  rocks,  where  it  is  next  to  impossible  for  man  to 
follow  them.  Their  food  consists  of  fish  and  a  variet}'  of  other  marine  productions, 
and  small  stones  or  pebbles  are  found  in  their  maws.  When  a  great  number  are 
collected  on  shore,  their  barking  and  howling  is  almost  deafening ;  and  when 
passing  to  leeward  of  a  seal  island,  the  odor  arising  from  it  is  anything  but  pleasant. 

We  have  before  spoken  of  the  wide  geographical  distribution  of  the  Fur  Seals, 
and  of  their  gregarious  propensities.  We  may  add,  likewise,  from  our  own  ol)serva- 
tion  as  well  as  the  expressed  opinion  of  several  experienced  sealing -masters,  that 
their  natural  migrations  extend  over  a  great  expanse  of  the  ocean  ;  and  if  they  are 
unusually  disturbed  in  their  favorite  haunts  for  several  successive  seasons,  they  are 
quite  sure  to  seek  some  distant  or  unknown  place,  where  they  can  congregate 
unmolested  by  man. 

Tiie  females  have  great  affection  for  their  young,  which  maj'  bo  more  manifested 
on  a  coast  where,  by  almost  constant  hunting  from  year  to  year,  they  have  become 
wild  and  shy. 

On  one  of  the  San  I3e..;to  Islands,  on  the  coast  of  Lower  California,  we  once 
watched  with  interest  a  "clapmatch"  and  her  pup,  which  was  but  a  few  weeks 
old.  She  approached  the  shore  cautiously,  with  her  little  one  nestling  about  her ; 
and  while   "hauling"   uporA  the  beach,  she  was  constantly  on  the  lookout,   but  at 


FUR    SEALS.  153 

the  same  time  caressing  and  endeavoring  to -quiet  the  object  of  her  care,  with  a 
fondness  almost  human.  All  being  still  about  the  shore  save  the  "wash"  along  the 
beach,  she  soon  lulled  it  into  quietness,  and  both  lay  huddled  on  a  shelving  rock, 
enjoying  the  warmth  of  a  midday  sun.  Now  and  then  a  heavier  swell  than  usual 
would  roll  in,  varying  the  otherwise  monotonous  sound,  when  instantly  the  mother 
would  raise  her  head  and  gaze  with  glaring  eyes  to  make  sure  that  there  was  no 
cause  for  alarm ;  then  again  she  would  resume  her  former  posture,  with  her  pup 
hugged  to  her  breast  by  one  of  her  pectorals,  as  if  to  sleep. 

Some  small  sticks  being  at  hand,  we  broke  one,  to  see  what  effect  so  slight  a 
noise  might  have  upon  them.  The  instant  it  snapped,  the  young  one  uttered  cries 
of  alarm,  and  the  mother  yelped  defiantly ;  they  soon,  however,  became  quiet  again, 
and  we  were  on  the  point  of  leveling  the  rifle,  when  accidentally  an  old  "wig" 
was  caught  sight  of,  lying  on  a  high  rock  not  far  distant :  taking  sure  aim  we  fired, 
then  turned  to  observe  the  movements  of  the  "clapmatch"  and  her  little  one. 
With  a  bound  or  two  she  reached  the  water,  but  returned  again  to  urge  her  young 
one  off  as  best  she  could ;  soon  both  were  in  their  chosen  element,  and  disappeared 
around  a  rocky  point — and  that  was  the  last  seen  of  them. 

Our  observations  having  been  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  Pacific  Coast, 
and  chiefly  between  Chile  and  Alaska,  what  may  follow,  in  addition  to  personal 
knowledge,  has  been  obtained  from  the  most  reliable  sources  within  our  reach. 

In  former  times,  when  Fur  Seals  abounded,  they  were  captured  in  large  num- 
bers with  the  ordinary  seal -club  in  the  hands  of  the  sealer,  who  would  slay  the 
animals  "right  and  left"  by  one  or  two  blows  upon  the  head.  A  large  party 
would  cautiously  land  to  leeward  of  the  rookery,  if  possible ;  then,  when  in  read- 
iness, at  a  given  signal  all  hands  would  approach  them,  shouting,  and  using  their 
clubs  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  conflict.  Many  hundreds  were  frequently  taken 
in  one  of  these  "knock-downs,"  as  they  were  called.  As  soon  as  the  killing  was 
over,  the  flaying  commenced.  Some  sealers  became  great  experts  in  skinning  the 
animals ;  and  the  number  of  skins  one  would  take  off  in  the  course  of  an  hour 
would  be  a  decidedly  fishy  story  to  tell.  However,  to  flay  fifty  seals  in  a  day 
would  be  regarded  as  good  work.  It  will  be  readily  seen  that  a  sealing -ship's 
crew,  numbering  twenty  or  more,  would  make  great  havoc  among  a  seal  rookery 
in  very  short  time;  and  it  is  no  matter  of  surprise  that  these  valuable  fur- bearing 
animals  soon  became  comparatively  scarce.  As  early  as  1835,  about  Cape  Horn, 
Patagonia,  and  other  points  in  the  Antarctic  regions,  men  were  left  to  "watch 
out"  and  shoot  the  animals  as  one  or  more  came  on  shore. 

Both   officers   and   men   have   been   frequently  landed   from   sealing -vessels  on 

Uabihe  Maumalh,— 20. 


154  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

barren  islands,  rocks,  or  points,  which  would  appear  quite  inaccessible  to  any  but 
sealers  or  sea-elephant  hunters,  by  reason  of  the  heavy  surf  and  surge  about  them; 
and  where  men  occasionally  have  perished  of  stai'vation  or  thirst,  by  not  receiving 
the  needful  supplies  from  the  ship,  which  might  have  been  wrecked  before  the  time 
for  her  return.  One  can  hardly  imagine  more  desolate  habitations  than  the  Diego 
Ramirez,  off  Cape  Horn,  or  the  Crozets  and  Prince  Edward's  Islands,  in  the  Indian 
Ocean  ;  but  these  places  are  no  more  forbidding  in  point  of  gloomy  climate,  isola- 
tion, and  barrenness,  than  scores  of  others  that  might  be  mentioned,  where  men 
were  left  for  months  with  or  without  a  boat,  as  occasion  required. 

On  the  coast  of  California,  many  beaches  were  found  fronting  gullies,  where 
seals  in  large  numbers  formerly  gathered  ;  and  as  they  there  had  plenty  of  ground 
to  retreat  upon,  the  sealers  sometimes  drove  them  far  enough  back  to  make  sure 
of  the  whole  Jierd,  or  that  portion  of  them  the  skins  of  which  were  desirable. 

On  the  North-western  Coast,  south  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  but  few  Fur  Seals 
are  taken,  and  those  are  chiefly  caught  by  the  Indians  with  spears  of  native  manu- 
facture—  the  Ashing  being  almost  entirely  confined  to  the  mouth  of  Juan  de  Fuca 
Strait,  and  the  contiguous  coast  of  the  Pacific. 

The  Indian  seal -fishers  are  among  the  tribes  inhabiting  the  coast  from  Gray's 
Harbor  to  the  southern  part  of  Vancouver  Island.  The  seals  appear  on  the  coast 
some  years  as  early  as  the  first  of  March,  and  more  or  less  remain  till  July  or 
August ;  but  they  are  most  plentiful  in  April  and  May.  During  these  two  months, 
the  Indians  devote  nearly  all  of  their  time  to  sealing,  when  the  weather  will  permit. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  since  the  Indians  have  turned  their  attention  to  taking 
seals  solely  to  procure  their  skins  and  oil  for  barter ;  and  what  may  seem  surpris- 
ing, it  is  but  a  few  years  since  the  animal?  have  been  known  to  resort  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  strait  in  such  large  numbers.  We  have  it  from  the  most  reliable 
source,  that  there  were  but  a  few  dozens  of  Fur  Seal  skins  taken  annually  by  the 
Indians,  from  1843  to  1864 ;  after  which  period,  the  number  of  skins  sold  by  them 
at  Victoria,  Vancouver  Island,  Nee -ah  Bay,  and  points  on  Puget  Sound,  has  steadily 
increased,  up  to  1869,  when  the  number  in  the  aggregate  amounted  to  fully  five 
thousand  skins. 

When  going  in  pursuit  of  seals,  three  or  four  natives  embark  In  a  canoe  at  an 
early  hour  in  the  morning,  and  usually  return  the  following  evening.  The  fishing- 
gear  consists  of  two  spears,  which  are  fitted  to  a  pronged  pole  fifteen  feet  in  length ; 
to  the  spears  a  line  is  attached,  which  is  fastened  to  the  spear -pole  close  to,  or  is 
held  in  the  hand  of,  the  spearman  when  he  darts  the  weapon.  A  seal -club  is  also 
provided,  as  well  as  two  seal -skin  buoys — the  latter  being  taken  in  the  canoe  to 


FUR    SEALS.  155 

be  used  in  rough  weather,  if  necessary ;  or  if  a  seal,  after  being  speared,  can  not 
be  managed  with  the  line  in  hand,  a  buoy  is  "bent  on,"  and  the  animal  is  allowed 
to  take  ita  course  for  a  time.  Its  efforts  to  escape,  by  diving  repeatedly,  and 
plunging  about  near  the  surface  of  the  water,  soon  exhaust  the  animal  somewhat ; 
and  when  a  favorable  time  is  presented,  the  spearman  seizes  the  buoy,  hauls  in  the 
line  until  within  reach  of  the  seal,  and  it  is  captured  by  clubbing.  But,  generally, 
the  line  is  held  in  the  hand  when  the  spear  is  thrust  into  the  seal ;  then  the  pole 
is  instantly  withdrawn,  and  the  canoe  is  hauled  at  once  to  the  floundering  creature, 
which  is  dispatched  as  before  described.  Indians  from  the  Vancouver  shore  fre- 
quently start  in  the  night,  so  as  to  be  on  the  best  sealing -ground  in  the  morning. 
This  locality  is  said  to  be  south-west  of  Cape  Classet,  five  to  fifteen  miles  distant. 

Frequently,  during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  in  the  spring  months,  fresh 
winds  come  from  the  eastward,  causing  a  rough,  short  sea  in  the  whirling  currents 
about  the  mouth  of  the  strait.  At  such  times  these  seal -fishers,  or  hunters,  squat- 
ting in  their  canoes — which  have  a  skin  buoy  lashed  on  each  side  of  the  bow  — 
present  not  only  a  comical,  but  perilous  appearance,  they  being  continually  drenched 
with  salt  water  by  the  toppling  seas,  and  the  canoes  making  as  great  a  diversity 
of  bourds  and  plunges  as  do  the  seals  themselves. 

In  Bohring  Sea,  the  islands  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  George  are  now  the  main  resort- 
ing places  of  the  Pur  Seals,  although  in  former  years  Copper  Island  swarmed  with 
these  periodical  visitors ;  considerable  numbers  were  also  inhabitants  of  Bchring 
Island,  as  well  as  several  of  the  more  isolated  points  in  the  Aleutian  chain.  The 
Aleutians,  under  the  direction  of  officers  of  the  Russian  -  American  Company,  were 
employed  in  taking  the  seals.  Under  the  judicious  management  of  the  Russians, 
the  animals  did  not  decrease  in  numbers,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  they  became 
tamed,  for  they  returned  periodically  to  the  islands,  and  brought  forth  and  nurtured 
their  young ;  and  it  was  the  custom  to  drive  thousands  of  them  inland,  that  their 
capture  might  be  more  easily  accomplishel.  The  loud  meanings  of  the  animals 
when  the  work  of  slaughtering  is  going  ou  beggars  description ;  in  fact,  they 
manifest  vividly  to  any  observing  eye  a  tenderness  of  feeling  not  to  be  mistaken. 
Even  the  simple-hearted  Aleutians  say  that  "the  seals  shed  tears." 

Our  observations  about  the  mouth  of  the  Strait  of  J 'fi  de  Fuca  lead  us  to 
believe  that  the  unusually  large  number  seen  in  the  vicinity  during  the  past  two 
years  are  a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  great  herd  that  resort  to  St.  Paul  and  St. 
George.  One  reason  for  this  conclusion  ie,  that  no  adult  males  are  found  with 
them.  This  would  naturally  follow  the  careful  course  adopted  by  the  Russians  of 
sparing  the  females,  in  order  to  propagate  the  stock.     Moreover,  this  female  herd — 


15G  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

for,  almost  invariably,  those  of  the  band  which  had  been  taken  by  the  Indians 
were  females — are  found  to  have  foetuses  in  them  that  must  necessarily  be  brought 
forth  in  the  course  of  a  month  or  two,  which  would  probably  be  about  the  time 
they  would  arrive  in  that  far  northern  region.  The  Indiana  unanimously  affirm 
that  they  come  from  the  south  and  go  to  the  north.  It  is  quite  certain  that  they 
do  not  resort  to  any  islands  in  or  near  the  strait,  or  the  adjacent  coast.  As  near 
as  can  be  ascertained,  the  main  body  pass  by  the  mouth  of  the  strait  during  the 
months  of  March  and  April  and  a  part  of  May,  after  which  comparatively  few  are 
seen ;  scattering  ones,  however,  remain  till  the  close  of  summer,  as  before  men- 
tioned. But  where  these  countless  herds  of  fur- bearing  animals  resort  to  in  winter 
seems  a  mystery.  All  we  know  is,  that  at  the  proper  seasons  of  the  year  they 
come  on  shore  plump  and  fat,  the  females  have  their  young,  and  all  remain  about 
the  land  until  the  little  ones  are  sufficiently  matured  to  migrate. 

At  the  expense  of  being  prolix,  we  quote  the  following  from  the  notes  of 
Captain  Bryant,*  whose  stay  upon  the  Island  of  St.  Paul,  Behring  Sea,  afforded 
him  ample  opportunity  to  study  the  habits  of  the  CaUorhinus  ursinua: 

"The  Fur  Seals  resort  to  the  Pribyloff  Islands  during  the  summer  months  for 
the  sole  purpose  of  reproduction,  f  Those  sharing  in  these  duties  necessarily  remain 
on  or  near  the  shore  until  the  young  are  able  to  take  to  the  water.  During  this 
considerable  period  the  old  seals  are  not  known  to  take  any  food.  These,  and  no 
ot^ors,  occupy  the  rookeries  (or  broef'.lng- grounds)  with  the  females. 

"The  breeding -rookeries,  which  are  frequented  exclusively  by  the  old  males 
and  females,  with  their  pups,  occupy  the  belt  of  loose  rocks  along  the  shores 
between  the  high -water  line  and  the  base  of  the  cliffs  or  uplands.  The  old  male 
appears  to  return  each  year  to  the  same  rock,  so  long  as  he  is  able  to  maintain 
his  position.  J  The  native  chiefs  affirm  that  one  seal,  known  by  his  having  lost 
one  of  his  flippers,  came  seventeen  successive  years  to  the  same  rock.  Those 
under  six  years  are  never  allowed  by  the  old  ones  on  these  places.  They  usually 
swim  in  the  water  along  the  shore  all  day,  and  at  night  go  on  the  upland  above 
the  rookeries,  and  spread  themselves  out,  like  flocks  of  sheep,  to  rest. 

*  See  Butledn  of  the  Mtiaeum  of  Comparaiivc  nnimala  do  not  iaTariably  return  eTery  year  to 

Zoology,  Harvard  College,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  Vol.  the  same  rookery,  or  island.     We  are  informed 

II,  No.  1  —  "On  the  Eared   Seals,"  by  J.    A.  by  Captain  Earskin,  of  the  Alaska  Commercial 

Allen.  Company's  service,  that  some  young  seals  which 

f  Some   observers   say  that  they   shed   their  were    marked    upon    St.    Paul's   Island    during 

fur.  the  season  of  1872,  were  found  the  year  follow- 

t  Subsequent  observations    prove   that  these  ing  on  St.  George's  Island. —C.  M.  S. 


FVR    SEALS.  167 

"Wherever  a  long,  continuous  shore  line  is  occupied  as  a  breeding -rookery, 
neutral  passages  are  set  apart  at  convenient  dist^^nces,  through  which  the  younger 
seals  may  pass  from  the  water  to  the  upland,  and  return,  unmolested. 

"Constant  care  is  necessary  lest  thoughtless  persons  incautiously  approach  the 
breeding -grounds,  as  the  stampede  of  the  seals  that  would  result  therefrom  always 
destroys  many  of  the  young.  The  old  males  are  denominated  by  the  natives 
Seacuth  (married  seals).  These  welcome  the  females  on  their  arrival,  and  watch 
over  and  protect  them  and  their  young  uniil  the  latter  are  large  enough  to  be  left 
to  the  care  of  their  mothers  and  the  younger  males.  Those  under  six  years  old  are 
not  able  to  maintain  a  place  on  the  rookery,  or  to  keep  a  harem,  and  these  are 
denominated  HoUuschuck  (bachelors).  These  two  classes  of  males,  with  the  full- 
grown  females,  termed  Mothi  (mothers),  form  the  three  classes  that  participate  in 
the  duties  of  reproduction. 

"By  the  first  to  the  middle  of  April  the  snow  has  melted  from  the  shore,  and 
the  drift  ice  from  the  north  has  all  passed.  Soon  after  this  period,  a  few  old  male 
seals  make  their  appearance  in  the  water  near  the  island,  and  after  two  or  three 
days'  reconnoissance,  venture  on  to  the  shore  and  examine  the  rookeries,  carefully 
smelling  them.  If  the  examination  is  satisf;'  tory,  after  a  day  or  two  a  few  climb 
the  slopes  and  lie  with  their  heads  erect,  listening.  At  this  time,  if  the  wind 
blows  from  the  village  toward  the  rookeries,  all  fires  are  extinguished,  and  all 
unnecessary  noises  avoided.  These  scouts  then  depart,  and  in  a  few  days  after, 
small  numbers  of  male  seals  of  all  ages  begin  to  arrive.  The  old  patriarchs  soon 
take  their  places  on  the  rookeries,  and  prevent  the  younger  males  from  landing. 
They  thus  compel  them  to  either  stay  in  the  water  or  go  to  the  upland  above. 
In  locating,  each  old  male  reserves  a  little  more  than  a  square  rod  of  space  to 
himself  and  his  ten  or  fifteen  wives. 

"Msile  seals  continue  to  arrive  in  small  numbers  daily,  a  few  of  which  are  year- 
lings ;  those  two,  three,  four,  and  five  years  old  arrive  in  about  equal  proportions. 
Those  older  than  this  are  more  numerous  than  the  younger,  each  one  of  which 
battles  his  way  to  his  old  place  on  the  rookery,  or,  taking  a  new  one,  prepares  to 
contend  for  it  in  case  the  owner  comes  to  take  it.  As  they  acknowledge  no  right 
but  that  of  might,  the  later  comer  has  to  select  again,  or  fight  for  his  rights  on 
his  chosen  spot. 

"About  the  15th  of  June  the  males  have  all  assembled,  the  ground  being  then 
fully  occupied  by  them,  as  they  lie  waiting  for  the  females  to  come.  These  appear 
in  small  numbers  at  first,  but  increase  as  the  season  advances,  till  the  middle  of 
July,  when  the  rookeries  are  all  full,  often  overlapping  each  other. 


"Many  of  the  females,  on  their  arrival,  appear  desirous  of  returning  to  some 
particular  male,  and  frcquoutly  climb  the  outlying  rocks  to  overlook  the  rookeries, 
calling  out,  and  listening  as  if  for  a  familiar  voice.  Then  changing  to  another 
place,  they  do  the  same  again,  until  some  '  jachelor'  seal,  swimming  in  the  water, 
approaches  and  drives  her  on  shore,  often  compolling  iier  to  land  against  her  will. 
Here  comes  in  the  duty  of  the  'bachJor  seals.  They  swim  all  day  along  the 
shore,  escorting  and  driving  the  females  on  to  the  rocks  as  fast  as  they  arrive. 
A?  soon  as  a  feraale  reaches  the  shore,  the  nearest  male  goes  down  to  meet  her, 
making  meanwhile  a  noise  like  the  clucking  of  a  hen  to  her  chickens.  He  bows 
to  her  and  coaxes  her,  until  ho  gets  between  her  and  the  water,  so  that  she  can 
not  escape  him.  Then  his  manner  changes,  and  with  a  harsh  growl  he  drives  her 
CO  a  place  in  his  harem.  This  continues  until  the  lower  row  of  hareris  is  nearly 
full.  Then  the  males  higher  up  select  the  time  when  their  more  fortunate  neigh- 
bors arc  off  their  guard,  to  steal  their  wives.  This  they  do  by  taking  them  in 
their  mouths  and  lifting  them  over  the  heads  of  the  'her  female?,  and  carefully 
placing  them  in  tueir  own  harem,  carrying  them  as  cats  do  their  kittens.  Those 
still  higher  up  pursue  the  same  method,  until  the  whole  space  is  occupied.  Fre- 
quently a  struggle  endues  between  two  males  for  possession  of  the  same  female,  and 
both  seizing  her  at  once,  pull  her  in  two,  or  terribly  lacerate  her  with  their  teeth. 
When  the  space  is  all  filled,  the  old  male  walks  arouiiu  complacently  reviewing  his 
family,  scolding  those  who  crowd  or  disturb  the  oUiei'f,  and  fiercely  driving  off  all 
intruders.  This  survoilli.nce  always  keeps  him  actively  occupied.  In  two  or  three 
days  after  landing,  the  females  give  birth  to  ouo  pup  each,  weighing  about  six 
pounds.  It  is  entirely  black,  and  retains  this  color  for  the  whole  season.  Th_ 
yourg  are  quite  vigorous,  even  at  birth,  nursing  very  soon  after  they  arc  born. 
The  mother  manifests  a  strong  attachment  for  her  own  offspring. 

"In  a  few  days  after  the  birth  of  the  young,  tha  female  is  ready  for  inter- 
course with  the  male.  She  now  becomes  solicitous  of  his  attentions,  and  extends 
herself  on  the  rocks  before  him.  Owing  to  the  position  of  the  genital  organs,  how- 
ever, coition  on  land  seems  to  be  not  the  natural  method,  and  only  rarely,  perhaps 
in  three  cases  out  of  ten,  is  the  attempt  to  copulate  under  such  circumstances 
effectual.  In  the  meantime,  the  four  and  five  year  old  males  are  in  attendance  along 
the  shore.  When  thf>  jealous  lord  is  off  his  guard,  or  engaged  in  driving  away  a 
rival,  a  female  will  slip  into  the  water,  and  an  attentive  'bachelor'  seal  followa  her 
some  distance  from  shore.  Then,  breast  to  breast,  they  embrace  each  other,  tur  iing 
alternately  for  each  other  to  breathe,  the  act  of  copulation  sometimes  continuing 
from  five  to  eight  minutes.     When  the  fc  nolo  again  returns  to  the  shore,  she  is 


i.,ll       ' — '■"-■'- '      ":■ ;■■     ■  ft^n., ..,.,, , lillilllil' 


FUR    SEALS. 


159 


treated  \v»th  indifference  by  all  the  males.  By  the 
middle  of  August,  the  young  are  aVi  born,  and  the 
females  are  again  pregnant.  The  old  males,  having 
occupied  their  stations  constantly  for  four  months, 
without  food,  now  resign  their  charge  to  the  younger 
males,  and  go  some  distance  from  fehore  to  feed. 

"The  fact  of  their  remaining  without  food  seems 
so  contrary  to  Nature,  that  it  appears  to  me  propei  to 
state  some  of  the  evidences  of  it.  Having  been  assured 
by  the  natives  that  such  was  the  fact,  I  deemed  \c  of 
sufficient  importance  to  test  it  by  all  the  means  avail- 
able. Accordingly  I  took  special  pains  to  examine  daily 
a  largo  extent  of  the  rookery,  and  note  carefully  the 
resul'.B  of  .  ly  observations.  "I'lie  rocks  on  the  rookery 
are  ^'oru  oinooth  and  washed  clean  by  the  spring -tides, 
and  any  discharge  of  excrement  could  not  fail  to  be 
detected.  I  found,  in  a  few  instances,  where  newlj*- 
arrived  seals  lind  made  a  single  discharge  of  red -colored 
excrement,  but  nothing  wat'  seen  afterward  to  show  that 
such  discharges  were  continued,  nor  any  evidence  that 
the  animals  had  partaken  of  food.  1  also  examined  the 
stomachs  of  several  young  ones,  killed  by  the  nati\es 
for  eating,  and  always  without  finding  any  traces  of 
food  in  them.  The  same  was  true  of  the  few  nursing 
females  killed  for  dissection. 

"About  the  20th  of  July,  the  great  body  of  the 
previous  year's  pups  arrive,  and  occupy  the  slopes  with 
the  younger  class  of  males,  and  they  continue  to  be 
mixed  together  during  the  ren>ainder  of  the  season. 
The  two-years-old  females,  wli'ch  pair  with  the  young 
males  in  the  water  near  the  island,  al.»!o  now  a.ssoc.;  ;e 
with  the  other  females.  The  pup.4  are  five  week  old 
when  the  old  females  go  off  to  feed  ;  they  go  with  the 
mothers  to  tlie  upland,  but  keep  by  themselves.  The 
pups  born  on  the  lower  edge  of  the  rookery,  A'here  the 
surf  breaks  over  then  occasionally,  learn  to  swim  early, 
but    the    larger    portion    of  them    do    not    take   to   the 


1 1 


leO  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

water  until  later,  and  many  have  to  be  forced  in  by  the  parents.  Once  in,  how- 
ever, they  soon  love  to  sport  in  it.  The  young  are  taught  to  swim  by  the  old 
males  on  their  return  from  feeding. 

"By  the  last  of  October,  the  seals  begin  to  leave  the  islands  in  small  compa- 
nies, the  males  going  last,  and  by  themselves.  In  November,  the  j'oung  seals  (as  1 
was  informed  by  the  natives,  my  own  observations  ending  in  August)  stop  to  rest  a 
few  days  on  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  at  Ounalaska  the  natives  obtain  several  hun- 
dred skins  annually. 

"Man.n'er  of  Killing  the  Se.\ls. — It  will  be  recollected  that  I  have  described 
the  yoanger  seals  as  spreading  out  on  the  slopes  above  the  rookeries  to  rest  at 
night..  A  jjarty  of  men  approach  these  places  armed  with  clubs,  and  quietly  creep 
between  the  seals  and  the  shore.  When  ready,  the  men  start  up  with  a  shout  at  a 
given  signal,  and  drive  the  seals  inland  in  a  body.  When  at  a  sufficient  distance 
from  the  rookery,  they  halt  to  screen  the  flock  of  as  many  as  possible  that  are  too 
old  for  killing,  only  those  that  are  two  and  three  years  old  yielding  prime  skins  ; 
the  fur  of  those  older  is  too  coarse  to  be  marketable.  The  screening  is  done  by 
driving  the  seals  slowly  forward  in  a  curve;  the  older,  sullenly  holding  back,  force 
the  more  timid  forward,  Avhcn  the  men,  opening  their  ranks,  let  them  pass  through 
and  return  to  the  shore.  The  remainder  of  the  llock  is  then  driven  to  the  killing- 
ground,  though  still  containing  many  too  old  to  be  of  value. 

"It  is  necessary  to  drive  the  llock  some  distance  from  the  breeding- ground, 
as  the  smell  of  the  blood  and  the  carcasses  disturbs  the  seals.  Another  object  is, 
to  make  the  seals  carry  their  own  skins  to  the  salt -house  ;  hence  it  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  drive  them  six  or  seven  miles.  The  driving  has  to  be  conducted  with 
great  care,  as  the  violent  exertion  jauses  the  seals  to  heat  rapidly,  and,  if  heated 
beyond  a  certain  degree,  the  fur  is  loosened,  and  the  skin  becomes  valueless.  In 
a  cool  day  they  may  be  driven  one  mile  and  a  half  per  hour  with  salcty.  When 
arrived  at  the  killing- ground,  a  few  boys  are  employed  to  keep  tlieni  from  strag- 
gling, and  they  are  thus  left  to  rest  luid  cool.  Then  from  seventy  to  one  hundred 
arc  separated  from  the  flock,  surrounded,  and  driven  on  each  other,  so  that  they 
confine  themselves  \)-^  treading  on  each  other's  flippers.  Those  desired  for  killing 
are  then  easily  selected,  and  quickly  dispatched  by  a  blow  on  the  nose.  When 
those  arc  killed,  the  remainder  are  allowed  to  go  to  the  nearest  water,  whence 
they  immediately  return  to  the  place  from  which  they  were  driven.  This  operation 
is  repeated  until  the  whole  flock  is  disposed  of.  The  work  of  skinning  is  per- 
formed by  all  the  men  on  the  island,  and  everyone  participating  in  it  is  allowed 
to  share  in  the  proceeds. 


FVR    SEALS.  161 

"As  the  seals  are  not  wholly  at  rest  until  the  females  (arrive,  great  care  is 
necessary  in  selecting  the  time  and  place  from  which  to  drivt.  These  points  are 
determined  by  a  head-man,  who  assumes  the  whole  control  of  this  part  of  the  bus- 
iness. In  the  month  of  May,  only  the  small  number  required  by  the  natives  for 
food  are  driven.  In  June,  when  the  seals  are  more  numerous,  they  are  driven  and 
killed  for  their  skins,  although  the  percentage  of  prime  skins  is  at  this  time  very 
small,  often  not  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  whole  flock  driven.  About  the  middle  of 
July,  the  females  go  off  into  the  water,  and  there  is  a  period  of  general  rest  among 
all  tlie  seals,  during  which  time  the  natives  desist  entirely  from  killing  for  ten  to 
fifteen  days.  At  the  close  of  this  period,  the  great  body  of  yearling  seals  arrive. 
Those,  mixing  with  the  younger  class  of  males,  spread  over  the  uplands,  and  {;;reatly 
increase  the  difliculty  of  killing  properly.  Up  to  this  time,  (here  having  been  no 
females  with  the  seals  driven  up  for  killing,  it  was  only  necessary  to  distinguish 
ages ;  this  the  difference  In  size  enables  them  to  do  very  easily.  Xow,  however, 
nearly  one -half  are  females,  and  the  slight  difference  between  these  and  the  younger 
males,  renders  it  ncccfsary  for  the  head-man  to  see  e\ery  seal  killed,  and  only  a 
strong  interest  in  the  preservation  of  the  stock  can  insure  the  proper  care.  Sep- 
tember and  October  are  considered  the  best  months  for  taking  the  seals. 

"Besides  the  skin,  e<ich  seal  will  yield  one  gallon  and  a  half  of  oil,  and  the 
linings  of  all  the  throats  are  .saved  and  salted  as  an  article  of  trade  to  other  ports 
in  the  territory,  these  being  used  by  the  natives  for  muking  water -proof  frocks  to 
wear  in  their  skin -canoes  when  hunting  the  sea- otter  or  fishing.  Tliese  parts  have 
no  very  great  commercial  value,  though  tliey  arc  conf<idured  by  the  natives  as  indis- 
pensable to  them. 

"Mode  op  Curing  the  Skins. — The  skins  are  .A\  taken  to  the  salt-houses,  ;iad 
are  salted  in  kenches,  or  square  bins,  the  skins  being  Bpn  .ul  down,  flesh -side  up, 
and  a  layer  of  salt  spread  over  them.  Thej'  remain  thus  packed  for  thirty  or  forty 
days,  when  tbey  arc  taken  from  the  bins  ;  the  salt  is  removed,  and  the  skins  are 
folded  together,  the  flesh-side  in,  and  sprinkled  as  they  are  folded  with  u  quumity 
of  clean  salt.     They  are  then  ready  for  shipment. 

"Number  of  Seals  frequenting  tub  Island. — There  are  at  least  twelve  miles  of 
shore- lino  on  the  island  of  St.  Paul's  occupied  by  the  seals  as  breeding -ground,  with 
an  average  width  of  fifteen  rods.  There  being  about  twenty  seals  to  Mn  cjuare 
rod,  gives  one  million  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  thousand  as  the  whoh  .mber  of 
breeding  males  and  females.  Deducting  one-tentli  for  males,  leaves  one  million 
thirty -seven  thousand  and  eight  hundred  breeding  females.  Allowing  one -half  of 
the  present  year's  pups  to  bo  females,  this  will  add  half  a  million  of  breeding  females 

Mabim  Mahhau  —  n. 


162  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

to  the  rookeries  of  1872,  in  addition  to  those  now  there,  while  the  young  of  last 
year  and  the  year  before  are  also  to  be  added.  This  estimate  does  not  include  the 
males  under  six  years  of  age,  these  not  being  allowed  on  the  rookeries  by  the  older 
males,  nor  the  yearlings.  If  we  now  add  those  frequenting  St.  George's  Island, 
which  number  half  as  many,  and  make  a  very  liberal  discount  for  those  that  may 
be  destroyed  before  reaching  maturity,  the  number  is  still  enormous.  It  will  also 
be  seen  that  the  great  importance  of  the  seal-fishery  is  not  to  be  calculated  from 
the  basis  of  its  present  yield,  since  each  year  adds  to  its  extent,  as  vith  proper 
care  the  number  can  be  increased  until  both  islands  are  fully  occupied  by  these 
valuable  animals. 

"Prices  Paid  for  the  Skins  at  the  Islands,  and  their  Value  in  Europe. — Tbc 
Russian  Company  allowed  the  natives  the  value  of  ten  cents  per  skin.  This  wr.s 
the  pay  they  received  for  their  labor  of  killing,  curing  the  skins,  and  delivering 
them  alongside  the  vessel,  ready  for- shipment,  the  company  finding  salt  and  mag- 
azines in  which  to  salt  them. 

"The  parties  who  took  advantage  of  the  interval  between  the  transfer  of  the 
territory  and  the  enacting  and  enforcement  of  the  law  of  the  27th  of  July,  1868, 
to  kill  and  purchase  of  the  natives,  paid  twenty -seven  cents  per  skin,  and  had  they 
been  allowed  to  trade  the  present  year,  would  have  bidden  forty  cents  apiece  for 
them.  To  this  is  to  be  added  the  cost  of  salt,  buildings,  and  the  expense  of  the 
agency  on  shore.  Their  market  value  was  at  that  time  five  dollars,  so  that,  after  a 
liberal  allowance  for  incidental  expenses,  the  profit  must  be  very  large.  Previous 
to  1866,  these  skins  were  worth  only  three  dollars  each,  but,  owing  to  recent 
improvements  in  thoir  manufacture,  they  have  become  fashionable  for  ladies'  wear, 
and  soon  after  the  transfer  of  the  territory  to  the  United  States  the  price  rose  to 
seven  dollars.  At  this  time,  the  Russians  had  one  hundred  thousand  on  hand, 
which  were  fonvarded  to  London,  the  only  market  for  seal -skins  in  the  raw  state, 
and  the  only  place  where  they  are  dressed.  The  different  parties  which  sealed  on 
the  islands  in  the  summer  following  the  purchase,  took  two  hundred  thousand, 
which  so  overstocked  the  market  that  they  are  now  [1871]  worth  only  three  or 
four  dollars. 

"The  agents  of  the  Russian  Fur  Company  aimed  to  cont»"?l  this  branch  of  the 
fur  trade  in  Europe  by  regulating  the  supply.  To  do  this  they  sent  orders  a  year 
in  advance  to  have  such  a  number  killed  as  in  their  judgment  the  market  might 
need,  always  keeping  at  the  same  time  one  year's  supply  on  hand.  At  thj  time  of 
the  sale  of  the  territory,  the  annual  yield  was  estimated  at  eighty  thousand  skins. 
The   opinion  of  the  men  who  have  the  special  care  of  the   seals   is,   that  \t  has 


FVB   SEALS.  Ij, 

r»chod  one  hundre,-,  th„„«>„d,  .„d  that  the  killmg  yearly  of  thi,  number  will  in 
no  way  check  their  increase.* 

ci„al'7'!  °r  jr  ^T"  "  ™  "^^-The  fle,h  of  the  »e.l  constituteMhe  prin- 
opal  food  of  he  .nUbitant,,  they  killing,  fron.  time  to  time,  such  numbere  ae  re 
necessary  for  that  purpose.  Before  the  seals  leave  in  autumj,  a  number  are  Hied 
sufficent  for  the  r  winter's  supply.  The  carcasses  are  allowed  ,„  freeze,  and  in  U 
tat  they  keep  them  until  the  return  of  the  seal,  in  the  spring.  The  flesh  of  the 
yearling  seal  ,s  somewhat  darker  than  beef;  it  is  juicy  and  tender,  but  itk.  the 
swootness  and  flavor  of  beef,  and  is  less  firm  and  nuLtious.  In  Lighy  s^onti 
d.shes,  .t  ,s  rehshed  by  nearly  all  who  partake  of  it.  The  soldiers  on  ^hHs  ani 
l.refe.ed  ,t  to  salt  rations.     A  five-weeks-o.d  pup  roasted  is  esteemed  a  g-' 


CHAPTER    V. 
Tin:   LKOPARi?    >EAL. 

Phoca  Pealii,?*    GUI.      (Plato   xxii,   fig.    1.) 


JIOVIXO  ATTITUDE   OP  A  LEOPARD   SEAL,    ON   SHORE 


This  species  of  Phoca,  known  under 
the  local  name  of  Leopard  Seal,  inhabits 
according  to  our  observation,  the  western 
coast  of  Xorth  America  and  the  contiguous 
northern  region  as  far  as  the  most  western 
islands  of  the  Kurile  chain.  The  adult 
animals  we  have  met  with  in  diderent  lat- 
itudes, were,  to  all  outward  appearances, 
of  the  same  form  and  of  the  same  modi- 
fied colors.  The  places  of  observation  were 
Plover  Bay,  coast  of  Eastern  Sibori.i,  1SG5;  coast  of  Tpper  California,  1852;  coast 
of  Lower  California,  185G;  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  18G9.  The  skeleton  of  tlie  one 
examined  at  Plover  Bay  was  forwarded  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  througli  our 
friend  W.  II.  Dall,  wlio  assumed  charge  of  the  scientific  enterprise  connected  with 
the  "Western  Union  Telegraph  Expedition,  after  tiie  death  of  the  lamented  Konni- 
cott.  The  Leopard  Seal  in  its  proportions  may  be  regarded  as  under-sized.  It 
never  exceeds  six  feet  in  length  ;  and  its  tliick  body,  with  its  short  limbs,  gives 
the  animal  a  bloated  appearance,  whicii  seems  ill  adapted  to  much  activity.  Its 
head  is  short,  broad,  and  rounded  ;  the  e3-es  are  large,  full,  and  expressive,  with  five 
coarse,  bristle -like  hairs  placed  on  a  curve  one  inch  above  the  edge  of  the  upper 
lid,  which  constitute   the  eyebrows.      It   has  tliirty  to  tliirty-fivo  whiskers  on  each 

*  "W.  H.  Dall,  who  has  had  consiilerablo  op-  but,  whether  such   is  the  fact  or  not,    we   will 

jiortunity  to  observe  upon  these  sealh,  is  under  state  that,  so  far  as  our  observation  has  oxtend- 

tbc  impression  that  several  species  of  them  exist  ed,   the  habits  of  these   seals,   both   north  and 

upon   this  coast,    in  which  opinion  we  con(!ur;  south,  are  the  same. 

M 


'W 


i^"^l 


♦•■■••".  ire  ■ 


'■■^«' 


ti     •■5' 


^^y.::,!'S1,,, 


■i^r- 


*f. 


i^^:^.' 


A 


r        ••>«»»■' 


#^ 


\  '. 


,jf  ■''*'^ii''' 


■■"  .'*V'- 


«^ 


,.,-»^%^V> 


. ,  '-i 


1  n.\rTKF<    ^ 


Tin:  n---f -i^'-:  •r.i 


w 


,^- 


a- 


( 

'i  iho    !(!ca)    I'.um)   of  I.tMifianl    S'til    tu'isil/'fv^ 

j  ivconlitig   to   ou>'    ob-.(>rvirioii,   tJic   western 

y^j  ooasf;  of  \orlU  Aiis  ■ricii  iumI   ibo  contiguous 

'  orthei'ii  roividu  ns  f;i.r  as  tho  irio<t  \v<',-ierii 

■      huuL-.     i-f    tin-     Km-ilo    I'hiiiu.      T:io    ;ulult 

(Ui!al>>  ^\l'   iinvi    ni'.l  villi    in  diiTcroui.  !at- 

/I    ■.\<u\'.}^,    \\'.'V(\     '!■     ;  !1     (jVit'.vsiii!     !if)r'?>c»r:ih(H». 

\l    t!ii>    sii'iK'    !■'!■'!!      :i:\    ni    iho    ni'ur.   li   •■•!;■ 


.  1,  ;!.!>    iJiV.  .  >  >^  >^ 


■»:ih( 


!!■ 


_"^--,        'ii'.:   •Mt'U'M-u  of  ill"  i.trn 
.:r  .-!r-:)n'!<ir   1  !i'';!^m; ion,  thrnM;;'i  wui' 


•    -.'liiilK'!    al     ]M'>i\'i      "rtv;  ,         ^   ■■■^^   :■'■:■  \ 

llif  "Wi'Sforii  I'lM  i![  i' .■!■  •^ijp!  !'•  ,;.t,'tUiit;t,  ,>i':.<  c  \  k-  t:K;;ih  (■■;'  ih.'  luuienti  i  Ki'nai- 
o't  Th'  liffiparil  f^'-iil  in  ''tri  I'lropuniuii-i  iii.u-  ])0  iVLtarilii!  -■  '  'i.^l-;!  ,')'■").  If; 
lii  vvi  o\r  i-"\>  '-ix  1V(  t.  ill  U'lijtU;  arul  its  thi^'k  I'Otly,  'vilh  '  -h/?'  U.^>\-  u;i\"(S 
i;"  ,:  i»'..'rtl  a  !>ii..a'oil  ii}i!'"a>'in.'  ,  wlif:!  -.  v'U,^  il!  iiiiajUi.''!  ''■  ,\n'  ti'iivity.  [t'^ 
1j  •:t'l  .-  ■  ;,•  'p'riv'.  ii  i  nn.iiili'il  ■  !!,(.'  (<y">  afo  lu-ge,  f  ill,  uw^t  ^  » ;  -  <  *  -ve,  ^ulil  fivo 
'WV'.'ir^,  •-  '  -in-  <!■.;.■>  n!,!'  'd  hi  n  cv.vv-  one  iu^'li  HjOhj  ""'  '■ 'it;  i>''  *«)'  upper 
'i'i    «  i,;.  i,     ■■ '■       ,4',      *.••>   I'Vt.'n  (ixv^.       It   Inirf  liiii'tv   t,  ■   t!:ir!>\     :,   *',   wi   thi".-^  on  r:\ch 

^\     l-t     1  ■:  •     .      ■   't*'-   ' 'Vl   .M.uvi';' i.iMii  pjv-       hit,  As^.-iliU    ,n--i\  ij.*^   *».  *    or   :iot,    we   v.VA 

J1..M  llllil'v     '..'    '>'••'<«-.'         :#*i    ■    i;-...    ...!llK,    iS    -UiiU-.l'         Rtalr:   Uilvt>   ««)    ^t^»•    'i  /      f  f  i-»»>S*  T  iixti- lU    luiS    (.'.Nl'.'nil- 

(lir.   iuijllfci--     '^    f'-m\    -I  *;    »  *i    •        '       '    tliCUl   IMk!  I;i'l,     tlrt»     (lalvfS     ..:      '..):*      t«Blli,     Ltull     llOl'fU    1111(1 

\ivoa   tliis   .-•'h-i      a       ■>;    I     jj        .1      ;.    cuneu!':      ;outi»,  fiiC  l)i«*  ^i«.^ 


.»<jt&. 


V'.,i:c.  XXII. 


C.  .'./.  Sammo:! .  J.eL 


LEOI'AR!}   SPJAL.li'KOCA  Pkat.u  ?i  Gill 


•|^;l  W^Vil 


^^-.Jfj^, 


From     Wolf . 


GKA-GTTER  .;   EriKVrRA    l.rAKIT-lA.lELEMINQ  , 


TUE   LEOPARD    SEAL.  165 

side  of  the  face,  which  protect  or  screen  the  mouth.  The  ears  are  merely  openings 
in  the  surface  of  the  skin,  which  are  placed  one  and  a  half  inches  behind  the  eyes. 
Both  side  and  posterior  flippers  are  covered  with  the  same  thick  short  hair  as  the 
body,  and  each  one  is  furnished  with  five  sharp,  slender  claws,  those  on  the  pecto- 
rals being  the  longest,  the  principal  of  which  measure  one  linear  inch.  The  poste- 
rior flippers,  when  relaxed,  may  be  three  and  a  half  inches  in  breadth,  but  are 
capable  of  expansion  to  ton.  Two  orifices  in  lieu  of  teats,  placed  two  and  a  half 
inches  apart,  are  situated  on  the  lower  portion  of  the  belly,  and  nine  inches  for- 
ward from  the  origin  of  the  tail.  .  The  tail  is  about  three  inches  long,  and  is  thick 
and  fleshy.  The  color  of  the  animal  varies  but  little  from  a  light  gray,  thickly 
mottled  with  dull  black  on  the  back  and  half-way  down  its  sides,  then  changing 
to  a  dingy  white  underneath,  with  here  and  there  distinct  spots  of  darker  shades. 
About  the  throat  and  breast,  the  creature  at  a  distance  looks  to  be  of  a  r.niform 
dull  white. 

The  following  measurements  in  feet  and  inches,  and  weights,  were  taken  of  two 
adult  females  caught  at  Smith's  Island,  Juan  de  Fuca  Strait,  in  the  months  of  Feb- 
ruary and  March,  18G9  : 

No.  1.  No.  1. 

Length  of  animal  from  tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail 3  10  3  8 

From  tip  of  nose  to  fore  flippers 1  1 

Length  of   fore  flippers 0  6  0  7 

Length  of  posterior  flippers 0  9  0  8 

Length  of  tail 0  3  0  2J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  eye 0  3  0  2J 

From  tip  of  nose  to  ear 0  4 

From  tip  of  nose  to  corner  of  mouth 0  2J  0  2J- 

Distance  between  the  eyes 0  2 

Circumference  of  body  immediately  behind  side  flippers 2  C^  2  3 

Weight  of  No.  1,  sixty  pounds;  weight  of  No.  2,  fifty-six  pounds.  The  time 
of  gestation  with  the  Leopard  Seals  is  supposed  to  be  nine  months.  We  have  met 
with  the  new-born  pups  about  Pugot  Sound  in  the  months  of  July  and  August; 
on  the  coast  of  California,  in  June  auii  July. 

The  thick  coating  of  white  fat  which  infolds  the  body  produces  the  purest 
oil  of  any  of  the  pinnipedos.  The  Leopard  Seal  is  endowed  with  no  little  sagacity, 
and,  although  exceedingly  wary,  it  displays  considerable  boldness.  It  is  found 
about  outlying  rocks,  islands,  and  points,  on  sand -reefs  made  bare  at  low  tide,  and 
is  frequently  met  with  in  harbors  among  shipping,  and  up  rivers  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  sea.     We  have  often  observed  them  close  to  the  vessel  when 


166  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

under  way,  and  likewise  when  at  anchor,  appearing  to  emerge  deliberately  from  the 
depths  below,  sometimes  only  showing  their  heads,  at  other  times  exposing  half  of 
their  bodies,  but  the  instant  any  move  was  made  on  board,  they  would  vanish  like 
an  apparition  under  water,  and  frequently  that  would  be  the  last  seen  of  them,  or, 
if  seen  again,  they  would  be  far  out  of  gun-shot. 

The  animals  come  ashore  more  during  windy  weather  than  in  calm,  and  in  the 
night  more  than  during  the  day  ;  and  they  have  been  observed  to  collect  in  the 
largest  herds  upon  the  beaches  and  rocks,  near  the  full  and  change  of  the  moon. 
They  delight  in  basking  in  the  warm  sunlight,  and  when  no  isolated  rock  or  shore 
is  at  hand,  they  will  crawl  upon  any  fragments  of  drift-wood  that  will  float  them. 
Although  gregarious,  they  do  not  herd  in  such  large  numbers  as  do  nearly  all  others 
of  the  seal  tribe ;  furthermore,  they  may  be  regarded  almost  as  mutes,  in  compar- 
ison with  the  noisy  Sea  Lions.  It  is  very  rarely,  however,  any  sound  is  uttered 
by  them,  but  occasionally  a  quick  bark  or  guttural  whining,  and  sometimes  a  pecul- 
iar bleating  is  heard  when  they  are  assembled  together  about  the  period  of  bring- 
ing forth  their  young.  At  times,  when  a  number  meet  in  the  neighborhood  of 
rocks  or  reefs  distant  from  the  main  land,  they  become  quite  playful,  and  exhibit 
much  life  in  their  gambols,  leaping  out  of  the  water  or  circling  around  upon  the 
surface. 

Its  terrestrial  movements,  howener,  are  quite  difiereirt  from  those  of  the  Sea 
Lion,  having  a  quick,  shuiHing.  or  hobbling  gait,  onlv  using  its  pectorals  to  draw 
itself  along  with,  while  a  small  portion  of  the  animal's  belly  alternately  rests  upon 
the  ground,  the  posterior  part  of  the  body,  inchiding  the  hind  flippers,  being  turned 
a  little  upward.  The  head  and  neck  are  slightly  elevated,  also,  when  the  animal  is 
.n  its  land -traveling  attitude,  but  the  creature  is  not  so  erect  as,  nor  does  it 
present  the  imposing  appearance  of,  the  Sea  Lion,  in  its  habits  upon  the  shore. 
Its  food  is  principally  fish,  and  its  rapacity  in  pursuing  and  devouring  the  smaller 
members  of  the  piscatory  tribes  is  quite  c^ual,  in  proportion  to  its  size,  to  that 
of  the  Orca.  When  grappling  with  a  fish  too  large  to  be  swallowed  whole,  it 
will  hold  and  handle  it  between  its  fore  flippers,  and,  with  the  united  work  of  its 
mouth  —  which  is  armed  with  incisors,  canines,  and  molars — the  wriggling  prize  is 
demolished  and  devoured  as  quickly,  and  much  in  the  same  manner,  ad  a  squirrel 
would  eat  a  bur -covered  nut. 

The  animal  is  easily  tamed,  and  very  soon  becomes  attached  to  its  keeper. 
We  have  had  several  young  ones  on  board  ship,  and  in  every  instance  it  was  but 
a  few  weeks  before  they  would  follow,  if  permitted,  the  one  who  had  especial 
charge  of  them,  and  when  left  solitary,  they  would  express  discontent  by  a  sort  of 


THE   LEOPABD    SEAL.  jgy 

mournful  bleating.  A  very  interesting  specimen  of  the  Leopard  Seal  is  on  exhibi- 
tion  at  Woodwards  Gardens.  This  little  favorite  has  been  a  resident  of  that  pop- 
ular  and  interesting  resort  for  over  three  years,  and,  although  a  female,  as  we  were 
mformed,  is  honored  with  the  title  of  "Commodore."  The  animal  generally  makes 
Its  appearance  close  at  hand  ^vhcnever  within  hearing,  if  called  by  name,  and  when 
its  keeper  appears  on  the  lawn,  to  feed  the  pelicans,  black  swans,  and  other  aquatic 
birds,  which  are  its  companions  in  the  artificial  pond,  the  Commodore  does  not 
wait  to  be  invited,  but,  knowing  a.  well  as  its  keeper  the  meal-hour,  is  on  the 
watch,  and  the  moment  the  food-bearer  is  seen,  the  little  creature -which  is  not 
over  four  feet  long-lifts  itself  out  of  the  water  over  the  curb-stones  and  waddles 
quickly  to  its  master's  side,  then  holding  up  its  head  with  mouth  wide  open 
receives  the  choice  morsels  of  fish  which  drop  from  his  hand.  ' 

Leopard  Seals  are  very  easily  captured  when  on  shore,  as  a  single  blow  with 
a  club  upon  the  head  will  dispatch  them.  The  Indians  about  Puget  Sound  take 
them  in  nets  made  of  large  hemp-line,  using  them  in  the  same  manner  as  seir.es 
drawing  them  around  beaches  when  the  rookery  is  on  shore.  They  are  taken  by 
the  whites  for  their  oil  and  skins,  but  the  Indians  and  Esquimaux  make  great 
account  of  them  for  food.  The  last -mentioned  eat  them,  as  they  do  nearly  every 
article  of  sustenauoo,  with  or  without  cooking,  but  the  natives  of  Pu -t  Sound 
singe  them  before  a  fire  until  the  hair  is  consumed  and  the  skin  becomes  crisp,  .vfter 
which  It  13  cut  up  and  cooked  as  may  best  suit  their  relish. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
THE    SEA    OTTER. 

(fiate  xsii.) 

The  most  valuable  fur-bearing  animals  inhabiting  tlio  waters  of  the  North-west- 
ern Coast  of  North  Americu  are  the  Sea  Otters.  Thoj'  are  found  as  far  south  as 
twenty -eight  degreea  north  latitude,  and  their  northern  limits  include  the  Aleutian 
Islands.  Although  never  m'gvating  to  the  southern  hemisphere,  these  peculiar 
amphibious  animals  are  lound  around  the  isolated  point'",  of  southern  Kamscliaika, 
and  even  to  the  western  Kuriles,  a  chain  of  islands  that  separates  the  Okhotsk  Tea 
from  the  north  -  eastei  n  Pacific.  TIio  length  of  the  full-grown  animal  may  average 
five  feet,  including  the  tail,  which  is  about  ten  inches.  Vlio  head  resembles  that  of 
the  Fur  Seal.  The  eyes  of  the  Sea  Otter  are  full,  black,  and  piercing,  and  exhibit 
inucli  intelligence.  The  color  of  the  female,  when  "in  season,"  is  quite  bl.ick  ;  at 
other  periods,  it  is  a  dark  brown.  The  males  are  usually  of  the  same  shade, 
although,  in  some  instanoe^i,  they  are  of  a  jet,  shining  black,  like  their  mates. 
The  fur  is  of  a  much  lighter  shade  inside  than  upon  the  surface,  and,  extending 
over  all,  are  scattering,  long,  glistening  hairs,  which  add  much  to  the  richness  and 
l)ea"^My  of  the  pelage.  Some  individuals,  about  tlie  nose  and  ey<"  ;,  are  cf  a  light 
brown  or  dingy  white.  Tii:  ears  are  less  than  an  inch  in  length,  quite  pointed, 
standiig  nearly  erect,  and  arc  covered  with  short  hair.  Occasionally,  the  young 
are  of  a  deep  brown,  \*ith  the  ends  of  the  longest  hairs  tipped  wlt!\  v.iiite,  and, 
about  the  nose  and  eyes,  of  a  cream  color. 

The  mating  season  of  the  Se;:  Otter  is  not  known,  as  the  young  are  met  with 
in  all  month  *  of  the  year ;  hence,  it  is  I'easonable  to  suppose  they  differ  from  most 
other  species  of  fur- bearing  marine  mammalia  in  this  respect.  The  tiim,  uf  gesta- 
tion • '  .'^apposed  to  be  eight  or  nine  months. 

The  hind  fact,  or  flippers,  of  the  animal  are  webbed,  much  'ike  the  seal's. 
Its  fore  legs  are  sl'.ort,  the  fore  paws  resembling  those  of  a  cat,  being  furnished  with 
five  sharp  claws,  as  are  the  posterior  flippers. 

(IN) 


TEE    SEA    OTTER.  169 

The  oldest  and  most  observing  hunters  about  Point  Grenville  (in  latitude  47* 
20')  aver  that  the  "Sea  Otter  is  never  seen  on  shore  unless  it  is  wounded."  Nev- 
ertheless, we  have  accounts  of  their  being  found  on  the  Aleutian  Islands  when 
the  Russians  were  first  engaged  in  the  fur  trade,  and  the  animals  are  still  occa- 
sionully  taken,  while  asleep  upon  the  rocki.  We  quote  the  following  from  Coxc's 
work  on  Russian  Discoveries  between  Asia  and  America,  and  the  Conquest  of  Siberia, 
published  in  1780:  "Of  all  these  furs,  the  skins  of  the  Sea  Otters  are  the  richest 
and  most  valuivble.  These  animals  resort  in  great  numbers  to  the  Aleutian  and  Pox 
islands ;  they  are  called  by  the  Russians  Boobrij  Morfki,  o'  sea  beavers,  on  account 
of  the  resemblance  of  their  fur  to  that  of  the  common  beaver.  They  are  taken 
four  ways :  struck  with  darts  as  they  are  sleeping  upon  their  backs  in  the  sea ; 
followed  by  boats  and  hunted  down  until  they  are  tired  ;  surprised  in  caverns,  and 
taken  in  nets."  They  are  possessed  of  much  sagacity,  have  groat  powers  of 
scent,  and  are  exceedingly  imbued  with  curiosity.  Their  home  is  nearly  as  much 
in  the  water  as  that  of  some  species  of  whale?  ;  and  as  whalers  have  their  favorite 
''cruising- grounds,"  so,  likewise,  do  the  Otter-hunters  have  their  favorite  hunting- 
grounds,  or  points  where  the  objects  of  pursuit  are  found  in  greater  numbers  than 
along  the  general  stretch  of  the  coast.  About  the  sea -board  of  Upper  and  Lower 
California,  Cerros,  San  Ocronimo,  Guadalupe,  San  Nicolas,  and  San  Miguel  islands, 
have  been  regarded  as  choice  places  to  pursue  them  ;  and  farther  ..orthward,  off  Cape 
Blanco,  on  the  Oregon  coast,  and  Point  Grenville  and  Gray's  Harbor,  along  the 
coast  of  T\' aihingtou  Territory.  At  the  present  day,  considerable  numbers  arc  taken 
by  whites  aad  Indians  about  those  noi  thorn  grounds.  Thence,  to  the  northward 
and  westward,  conio  a  broken  coast  and  groups  of  islands,  whore  the  animals  were, 
in  times  past,  hunted  by  the  employes  of  the  Hudson's  Ray  Company  and  Russian- 
American  Company,  and  whore  they  are  still  pursued  by  the  natives  inhabiting 
those  rock -bound  shores.  These  interesting  mammals  are  gregarious,  and  are  fre- 
quently soon  in  bands  numbering  from  fifty  up  to  hundreds.  When  in  rapid  move- 
ment, they  make  alternate  undulating  leaps  out  of  tlie  water,  plunging  again,  as  do 
seals  and  porpoises.  Thoy  are  frequently  seen,  too,  with  the  hind  flippers  extended, 
as  if  catching  tho  breeze  to  sail  or  drift  before  it. 

Tiiey  live  on  clams,  crabs,  and  various  species  of  Crustacea,  and  sometimes 
small  fish.  When  tlio  Otter  descends  and  brings  up  any  article  of  food,  it  instantly 
resumes  its  habitual  attitude — on  the  back  —  to  devour  it.  In  sunny  days,  when 
looking,  it  sometimes  sliados  its  eyes  with  one  fore  paw,  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  a  person  docs  with  the  hand.  The  females  rarely  have  more  than  a  single  one 
at  a  birth  —  never  more  than  two — which  are  "brought  forth  upon  tho   kelp,"  say 

MAltlKE  MaUHALH.  —  3a. 


170  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NnRTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

the  white  hunters,  that  abounds  at  nearly  all  points  known  as  their  favorite  resort- 
ing-places.  The  mothers  caress  and  suckle  their  offspring  seemingly  with  much 
affection,  fondling  them  with  their  fore  paws — reclining,  in  their  usual  manner — 
and  frequently  uttering  a  plaintive  sound,  which  may  have  given  rise  to  the  saying 
that  "Sea  Otters  sing  to  quiet  their  young  ones,"  and  gives  some  credence  to  the 
suggestion  that  the  human -like  actions  of  the  animal  originated  the  story  about 
mermaids.  But  when  they  are  startled,  they  rise  perpendicularly  half  their  length 
out  of  the  water ;  and  if  their  quick,  sharp  eyes  discerr  aught  to  cause  alarm,  the 
cubs  are  seized  by  the  mouth,  and  both  mother  and  offspring  instantly  disappear 
under  water.  Males  and  females  are  sometimes  seen  curled  up  in  such  shapeless- 
ness  as  to  present  no  appearance  of  animal  form.  When  in  this  posture  they  are 
said  to  be  sleeping. 

Sea  Otters  are  rarely  seen  far  from  shore,  their  home  being  among  the  thick 
beds  of  kelp  near  the  beach,  or  about  outlying  rocky  reefs  and  islets.  Point  Gren- 
ville,  however,  seems  to  be  an  exception,  as  there  is  no  kelp  in  sight  from  the 
shore. 

PuRStnr  AND  Captitre.  —  About  the  period  of  the  establishment  of  Fort  Astoria, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  and  for  many  succeeding  years,  the  Sea 
Otter  huuters  along  the  coasts  of  California  and  Oregon  were  made  up  from  nearly 
all  the  maritime  nations  of  Europe  and  America,  as  well  as  from  the  different  tribes 
of  natives  that  dwelt  near  the  sea- shore.  Those  of  the  former  were  hardy  spirits, 
who  preferred  a  wild  life  and  adventurous  pursuits,  rather  than  civilized  employ- 
ment. The  distance  coasted  in  their  lightly  constructed  boats,  the  stealthy  search 
for  the  game,  and  when  discovered,  the  sharp -shooting  chase,  gave  these  hunting 
expeditions  a  pleasant  tinge  of  Venture.  Moreover,  the  taking  of  Sea  Otters  on  the 
coasts  of  the  Californias  was  pi'ohibited  by  the  Mexican  government,  and  the  hunt- 
ers were  a"^  re  that,  if  detected,  the  penalty  would  be  severe  ;  hence,  they  ever 
kept  a  watchful  eye  on  all  vessels  seen,  which  were  carefully  avoided  or  cautiously 
approached. 

A  peculiar  sort  of  boat  is  used  by  the  hunters,  called  an  "Otter -canoe."  It 
is  fifteen  feet  long,  nearly  five  wide,  and  eighteen  inches  deep.  It  is  sharp  at  each 
end,  with  flaring  sides,  and  but  little  sheer.  Still,  these  boats  are  excellent  "sea- 
goers,"  and  are  regarded  as  unsurpassed  for  landing  through  the  surf,  their  nhapo 
being  peculiar.  So,  likewise,  are  the  paddles  for  propelling  them,  which  are  short, 
with  very  broad  blades — they  being  better  adapted  for  use  in  the  thick  beds  of 
kelp.  The  outfit,  when  going  on  a  cruise,  is  limited  to  nearly  the  barest  necessities. 
Three  men  usually  go  in  one  boat — two  to  paddle,  and  one   to  shoot;   the  latter 


THE   SEA    OTTEB.  171 

having  two  or  three  favorite  rifles,  with  a  supply  of  ammunition.  A  little  tea, 
cofTce,  sugar,  flour,  or  ship -bread,  is  provided,  adding  pipet  and  tobacco,  and,  as 
a  groat  luxury,  perhaps  a  keg  of  spirits  completes  their  equipment. 

All  being  in  readiness,  they  leave  the  quiet  waters  of  the  harbor,  and  put  to 
sea,  following  the  general  trend  of  the  land,  but  at  times  making  a  broad  devia- 
tion, to  hunt  about  some  islands,  miles  from  the  main -land.  When  an  Otter  is 
seen  within  rifle-shot,  instantly  the  hunter  fires;  and  if  only  wounding  the  animal, 
it  dives  under  the  water,  but  soon  re -appears,  to  be  repeatedly  shot  at  until  killed. 
Sometimes,  three  boats  will  hunt  together.  Then  they  take  positions,  one  on  each 
side,  but  in  advance  of  the  third,  and  all  three  in  the  rear  of  where  the  animal 
is  expected  to  be  seen.  It  is  only  the  practiced  eye  of  the  experienced  men  that 
can  detect  the  tip  of  the  animal's  nose  peering  above  water,  and  frequently  dis- 
guised by  a  leaf  of  kelp.  Occasionally,  a  large  band  is  met  with.  Then  every 
exertion  is  made  to  keep  them  within  the  triangle  formed  by  the  boats ;  and,  at 
such  times,  a  deal  of  rapid  and  sharp  shooting  ensues,  and  many  a  bullet  sings 
through  the  air,  or  skips  over  the  water,  almost  as  near  the  pursuers  as  the  ani- 
mals pursued.  Ilowever,  six,  eight,  or  a  dozen  Otters  are  sometimes  secured  before 
the  main  body  disperses ;   and  it  is  rarely  any  accident  occurs  by  reckless  firing. 

From  day  to  day,  if  the  weather  is  pleasant,  they  cruiee  in  search  of  the  ani- 
mals— landing  to  pass  the  night  at  different  places  well  known  to  them,  behind 
some  point  or  rock  that  breaks  the  ocean  swell.  The  landings  are  made  by  watch- 
ing the  successive  i-oUors  as  they  break  upon  the  beach,  and  when  a  favorable  time 
comes,  the  boat,  under  dexterous  mauagomcnt,  glides  over  the  surf  with  safety  to 
the  shore.  It  is  then  hauled  up  clear  of  the  water,  and  turned  partially  over  for 
a  shelter,  or  a  tent  is  pitched.  A  fire  is  made  of  drift-wood,  or,  if  this  fail,  the 
dry  stalks  of  the  cactus,  or  a  bunch  of  dead  chaparral,  servos  them ;  and,  if  their 
provisions  should  bo  getting  short,  an  excursion  is  made  up  some  one  of  the  many 
ravines  or  intervals — perhaps  to  a  stagnant  water- pool,  whore  the  deer  and  ante- 
lope in  that  arid  region  resort  to  quoncli  their  parching  thirst.  The  unerring  rifle 
brings  one  to  the  ground,  when  out  comes  the  hunter's  knife,  and  cutting  the  choice 
pieces  from  the  creature,  ho  sallies  back  again  to  camp,  and  soon  has  the  venison 
broiling  over  tho  coals,  and,  in  duo  time,  it  is  added  to  their  evening  meal,  which 
is  partaken  of  with  hearty  relish ;  then  follow  tho  pipes,  which  arc  enjoyed  as  only 
those  men  of  free  and  easy  life  can  enjoy  them.  Relieved  from  all  care,  these 
adventurers  talk  of  past  exploits  or  froUcs,  and  finally  roll  themselves  in  their 
blankets  for  a  night's  invigorating  sleep  in  the  open  air.  At  daybreak  they  are  all 
awakened  by  tho  screams  of  sea-birds  and  the  barking  of  coyotes,  attracted  by  tho 


172  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

scent  of  the  encampment.  The  morning  repast  over,  they  again  embark  in  their 
coclile- shell  boats,  launch  through  the  surf,  gain  the  open  sea,  and  paddle  or  sail 
along  the  chores  in  search  of  "Otter  signs."  But  the  scarcity  of  Otters  on  the  old 
hunting-grounds  has  developed  the  character  of  these  fearless  hunters,  who,  in  order 
to  still  maintain  their  game -life,  have  again  reluctantly  taken  to  their  pigmy  sea- 
craft — a  small  vessel  of  forty  tons — in  which  they  have  stretched  across  the  Pacific 
to  the  western  Kuriles  (the  extreme  geographical  limit  of  the  breeding -grounds), 
and  now  successfully  pursue  them  around  those  rugged  islands  during  summer, 
returning  again  to  the  California  shores  with  their  rich  booty  as  winter  approaches. 

Hunting  from  the  Sucre. — From  San  Francisco  northward,  as  far  as  Juan  de 
Fuca  Strait,  the  hunting  is  chiefly  prosecuted  by  shooting  the  animals  from  the 
shore ;  the  most  noted  grounds  being  between  Gray's  Harbor  and  Point  Grcnville 
— a  belt  of  low  coast,  lying  within  the  parallels  of  46°  and  48°,  north  latitude. 

The  white  hunter  builds  his  two  log- cabins;  one,  near  the  southern  limits  of 
his  beat,  and  the  other  at  its  northern  terminus  near  Point  Grcnville.  During  the 
prevalence  of  the  southerly  winter  gales  he  takes  up  his  quarters  at  the  last-named 
station,  as  the  game  is  found  there  more  frequently ;  but  when  the  summer  winds 
sweep  down  from  the  north  he  changes  his  habitation,  and  pursues  the  animals 
about  the  breakers  of  Gray's  Harbor.  From  early  dawn  until  the  sun  sinks  beneath 
the  horizon,  the  hunter,  with  rifle  in  hand  and  ammunition  slung  across  his  shoul- 
c'f  ivalks  the  beach  on  the  lookout  for  "a  shot."  The  instant  one  is  seen,  crack 
goes  the  rifle  ;  but  it  is  seldom  the  animal  is  secured  by  one  fire.  A  Sea  Otter's 
head  bobbing  about  in  the  restless  swell  is  a  very  uncertain  mark  ;  and  if  instantly 
killed,  the  receding  tide  or  adverse  wind  might  drift  the  animal  seaward  :  so  that, 
even  if  it  eventually  drift  to  shore,  it  may  be  far  out  of  sight  from  the  hunters 
by  day,  or  be  thrown  on  the  rocks  by  the  surge  during  the  night,  and  picked  up 
by  some  of  the  strolling  Indians  who  run  the  beach  in  quest  of  any  dead  seal 
or  Otter  that  may  come  in  their  way. 

The  difficulty  in  shooting  from  the  shore,  when  the  marksman  stands  nearly  on 
a  level  with  the  ever -changing  swell,  has  always  been  an  aggravating  annoyance  ; 
to  avoid  which,  the  hunters  now  use  a  sort  of  ladder,  or,  as  it  may  bo  termed, 
two  ladders,  joined  near  the  upper  ends  by  a  hinge,  spreading  at  the  lower  ends, 
forming  a  triangle  —  when  placed  on  the  beach  or  in  the  edge  of  the  water  —  on 
which  the  hunter  climbs  in  order  to  gain  elevation.  The  ladders  are  made  of  light 
material,  so  that  they  can  be  easily  carried  at  any  time,  should  the  sea  bo  ruffled 
by  a  local  wind  or  waves  from  seaward.  When  an  Otter  is  seen,  up  go  the  lad- 
ders, and  up  goes  the  hunter  to  the  topmost  round,  and  fires.    The  shot  is  rei>eated 


THE   SEA    OTTER.  173 

very  quickly,  if  the  first  does  not  take  effect ;  and  ball  after  ball  is  sent  after  the 
animal,  until  it  is  far  out  of  I'each.  It  is  esfimated  that  the  best  shooters  average 
at  least  twenty -five  shots  to  every  Otter  obtained,  and  that  about  one -half  the 
number  killed  are  secured  by  the  rightful  owners ;  but,  when  once  in  their  posses- 
sion, it  is  quickly  fleeced  of  its  valuable  skin,  which  is  stretched  c:i  the  walls  of 
the  cabin  to  dry.  It  is  no  unusual  occurrence  for  the  hunter  to  pass  a  week  trav- 
eling up  and  down  the  beach,  and  he  may  nhoot  sixty  or  more  rounds,  and,  per- 
haps, kill  several  Otters;  but,  owing  to  "bad  luck,"  not  one  may  be  secured  —  the 
carcass  cither  drifting  to  sea,  or  to  shore,  possibly,  with  the  flowing  night -tide,  and 
the  object  so  patiently  and  eagerly  sought  for  is  at  last  stealthily  appropriated  by 
some  skulking  savage. 

Notwithstanding  their  propensity  to  purloin,  the  Indians  of  the  North-west- 
ern Coast  not  only  occasionally  shoot  the  Sea  Otters,  as  do  the  whites,  but  in  the 
months  of  July  and  August,  when  calm  weather  prevails,  they  capture  them  by 
night.  A  small  canoe  is  chosen  for  the  purpose,  and  the  implement  used  to  capt- 
ure the  animals  is  a  spear  of  native  make,  composed  of  bone  and  steel,  fitted  to  a 
long  polo  by  a  socket.  Four  chosen  men  make  tlio  crew  for  the  canoe.  Near  the 
close  of  day,  a  sharp  lookout  is  kept  for  any  band  of  the  animals  that  may  have 
been  seen  from  the  shore,  and  their  position  accurately  defined  before  beginning*'the 
pursuit.  All  being  in  readiness,  as  the  shade  of  evening  approaches,  they  launch 
their  pigmy  craft  upon  the  calm  sea,  and  three  men  paddle  in  silence  toward  the 
place  where  the  Otters  were  seen,  while  the  fourth  takes  his  station  in  the  bow. 
He  is  either  a  chief,  or  some  one  distinguished  ia  the  chase.  He  watches  intently 
for  the  sleeping  Otters.  As  soon  as  one  is  descried,  the  canoe  is  headed  for  it, 
and,  when  within  rearli,  the  spear  is  launched  into  the  unwary  creature.  In  its 
efl'orts  to  escape,  it  draws  the  spear  from  the  pole.  There  is  a  small  but  strong 
cord  connecting  the  spear  and  pole,  which  admits  them  to  separate  a  few  feet,  but 
docs  not  free  the  GHer.  The  animal  dives  deoply,  but  with  great  effort,  as  the 
unwieldy  pole  greatly  rounds  its  progress.  The  keen -eyed  savage  traces  its  course, 
in  the  blinding  darkness,  by  the  phosphorescent  light  caused  by  the  animal's  tran- 
sit through  the  water ;  and  when  it  rises  upon  the  surface  to  breathe,  it  is  beset 
with  clubs,  paddles,  and  perhaps  another  spear,  and  is  finally  dispatched,  after 
repeated  blows  or  thrusts.  The  conflict  arouses  the  whole  band,  which  instantly 
disappear ;  so  that  it  is  seldom  more  than  one  is  secured.  As  soon  as  the  hunt  is 
over,  the  animal  is  brought  on  shore,  the  skin  taken  off  and  stretched  to  dry,  and, 
when  ready  for  market,  the  lucky  owner  considers  himself  enriched  to  the  value 
of  ten  or  fifteen  blankets,  and  the  flesh  is  devoured  as  a  choice  article  of  food. 


174  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

The  mode  of  capturing  the  Sea  Otters  between  Point  Grenville  and  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands  varies  with  the  difierent  native  tribes  inhabiting  that  coast.  The  Aleu- 
tians, dressed  in  their  water -proof  garments,  made  from  the  intestines  of  seals, 
wedge  themselves  into  their  baidarJcas  (which  are  constructed  with  a  light,  wooden 
frame,  and  covered  with  walrus  or  seal  skin),  and,  donning  their  hunting -caps, 
plunge  through  the  surf  that  dashes  high  among  the  crag.',  and,  with  almost  instinct- 
ive skill,  reach  the  less  turbulent  ground -swell  iLat  heaves  in  every  direction. 
These  aquatic  men  are  so  closely  confined  by  the  narrow  build  of  their  boats,  and 
keeping  motion  witli  them,  too,  that  their  appearance  suggests  the  idea  that  some 
undoscribed  marine  monster  had  just  emerged  from  the  depths  below.  Once  clear 
of  the  rocks,  however,  the  hunters  watch  diligently  for  the  Otters.  The  first  man 
that  gets  near  one  darts  his  spear,  then  throws  up  his  paddle  by  way  of  signal; 
all  the  other  boats  forming  a  circle  around  him,  at  some  distance.  The  wounded 
animal  dives  deeply,  but  soon  returns  to  the  surface,  near  some  one  of  the  baidarkas 
forming  the  circle.  Again  the  hunter  that  is  near  enough  hurls  his  spear  and  ele- 
vates his  paddle,  and  again  the  ring  is  formed  as  before.  In  this  way  the  chase  is 
continued  until  the  capture  is  made.  As  soon  as  the  animal  is  brought  on  shore, 
the  two  oldest  hunters  examine  it,  and  the  one  whose  spear  is  found  nearest  its 
head  is  entitled  to  the  prize. 

The  number  of  Sea  Otter  skins  taken  annually  is  not  definitely  known,  but 
from  the  most  authentic  information  we  can  obtain,  the  aggregate  for  the  past 
three  years  has  been  five  thousand,  one  thousand  of  which  came  from  the  Kurile 
Islands ;  and,  valuing  each  skin  at  fifty  dollars,  amounts  to  the  sum  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

Whether  these  very  valuable  fur  animals  have  decreased  in  numbers'within  the 
past  few  years,  is  questionable.  The  hunting  of  them  on  the  coast  of  California  is 
no  longer  profitable  for  more  than  two  or  tliree  hunters,  and  we  believe  of  late 
some  seasons  have  passed  without  any  one  legitimately  engaging  in  the  enterprise ; 
notwithstanding,  olT  Point  Grenville,  which  is  an  old  hunting-ground,  sixty  Otters 
were  taken  by  only  three  hunters  during  the  summer  of  18G8 — a  great  annual 
increase  over  many  past  years.  It  is  said  the  Russian -American  Company  restricted 
the  number  taken  yearly  by  the  Aleutian  Islanders,  from  whom  the  chief  supply 
was  obtained,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  stock.  Furthermore,  may  it  not  be  that 
tiieso  sagacious  animals  have  fled  from  those  places  on  the  coasts  of  the  Californias 
where  they  wore  so  constantly  pursued,  to  some  more  isolated  haunt,  and  now 
remain  unmolested? 


THE    SEA    OTTER. 


176 


> 

c 

H 
> 


m 

> 

O 

H 


n 
o 

M 

o 

a 

> 

> 
> 


H 

3: 

B 
c 
2! 
■H 
W 
!» 

M 

M 
>! 
O 
> 
O 
M 

a 
S 

H 

n 

n 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE    WALRUS. 

BosMARUS  0DE8CS,  llligeT. 

Eminent  naturalists  have  remarked  that  the  Walrus,  or  Sea-horse,  appears  to 
be  the  connecting  link  between  the  mammals  of  the  land  and  those  of  the  water. 
This  bulky  and  unwieldy  animal  when  on  shore  has  some  resemblance  to  the  seal, 
yet  differs  materially  in  its  proportions,  as  well  as  in  its  elephant- like  tusks.  The 
Walrus  attains  the  size  of  the  largest  Sea  Lion,  and  measures  from  ten  to  four- 
teen feet  in  length,  and  about  eight  feet  in  circumference.  Its  head  is  rounded, 
small  (when  compared  with  the  anterior  portion  of  the  body),  and  flattened  in 
front.  Its  eyes  are  diminutive  in  size,  and  deeply  set ;  the  small  orifices  of  the 
ears  are  about  three  inches  behind,  and  two  inches  below  the  eyes.  The  chocks 
are  studded  with  four  or  five  hundred  spines  or  whiskers,  some  of  which  are 
rudimentary,  while  others  grow  to  the  length  of  three  or  four  inches.  They  are 
transparent,  curved,  abruptly  pointed,  and  about  the  size  of  a  straw,  but  not  twisted, 
as  has  been  stated  by  some  writers.  Its  neck  is  short,  and  its  unwieldy  body  is 
largest  about  the  chest.     Its  posterior  is  abrupt. 

By  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  11.  W.  Elliott,  we  present  on  the  following  page  figures 
of  the  Walrus,  copied  from  his  excellent  sketches,  executed  at  St.  Paul's  Island, 
Behring  Sea,  in  1872.  The  tusks  of  the  Walrus  are  not  only  a  means  of  defense, 
but  are  used  in  obtaining  food,  and  in  mounting  the  ice-floes,  when  the  shore  is 
not  accessible.  The  canine  teeth,  as  they  are  sometimes  ca^'-^d,  may  average  two 
feet  in  length,  including  the  root,  which  is  imbedded  in  vUe  jaw  six  or  eight 
inches.  Yet  some  individuals  have  been  taken  with  tusks  two  and  a  half  to  three 
feet  in  length,  and  each  weighing  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds.  In  shape  they  are 
somewhat  bowing,  and  slightly  liollowod,  notched,  and  ridgy  at  their  bases.  At 
their  junction  with  the  skull,  they  are  about  three  inches  asunder ;  they  project 
at  an  obtuse  angle  from  the  upper  jaw,  and,  in  some  instances,  meet  at  their 
extremities ;  while  others  grow  perpendicular  to  each  other,  or  turn  outward  on  each 


THE    WALRUS. 


side.  There  is  considerable  diversity  in  their  length,  shape,  and  size,  even  in  the 
full-grown  tusks,  some  being  very  short  and  stout,  while  others  are  elongated  and 
slender.  The  Walrus  has  no  sharp  incisors  like  the  seal.  The  nostrils  are  placed  ou 
the  superior  portion  of  the  snout,  through  which  the  animal  appears  to  inspire,  and 
expires  through  its  mouth,  as  it  dips  its  head  below  the  surface,  blowing  up  the 
water  into  spray,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  resemble  the  spout  of  a  whale.  Never 
having  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  detailed  measurements  of  the  Walrus,  we  quote 
from  the  most  reliable  authorities:  "Its  fore  feet,  or  flippers,  are  from  two  to 
two  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  and  about  twelve  inches  in  breadth ;  they  arc  webbed, 
and  the  under  sides  are  protected  by  a  tough  skin,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or 
more  in  thickness.     The  posterior  flippers  are  from  two  to  three  feet  long,  and  are 


Walruses. 


capable  of  expansion  at  their  extremity  nearly  equal  to  their  length  ;  each  toe  is 
furnished  with  a  small  nail."  The  skin  of  the  animal  is  thick  and  somewhat  spongy, 
but  exceedingly  tough.  The  hair  that  covers  it  in  most  adult  individuals  is  short 
and  of  a  dark  brown  ;  yet  there  is  no  lack  of  examples  where  it  is  of  a  much 
lighter  shade,  or  a  light  but  dingy  gray.  Unlike  others  of  the  seal  tribe,  the 
animal  is  abundantly  infested  with  vermin.  Under  the  skin  lies  the  coating  of  fat 
which  yields  oil — it  is  from  two  to  three  inches  in  thickness.  The  appearance  of 
the  fully  developed  Walrus  in  the  water,  with  its  long  tusks,  which  seem  like  an 
incumbrance,  has  a  striking  contrast  with  that  of  the  common  seal.  The  young, 
however,  before  its  cumbrous  canines  protrude,  resembles  the  latter  in  general  form, 
but  is  of  a  black  color.     On  land  the  Walrus  is  comparatively  inactive  and  clumsy 


Mabihc  HAmuta.  — U. 


178  MJniNE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST, 

in  its  movements ;  but  in  the  water  its  motions  are  easy  and  vigorous.  Its  geo- 
graphical distribution  quite  encircles  the  globe  in  that  colder  belt  of  the  northern 
hemisphere,  above  the  latitude  of  45®,  and  but  few  individuals  are  met  with  south 
of  47°  north.  In  Behring  Sea  they  are  found  as  far  south  as  the  shores  of  the 
peninsula  of  Alaska,  and  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  about  several  of  the  islands  which 
fringe  the  central  coast  of  Alaska  Territory.  They  feed  upon  shell -fish  and  other 
submerged  marine  productions.  The  Walrus  is  gregarious,  being  sometimes  found 
in  herds  upon  the  ice,  and  at  the  proper  season  the  animals  collect  upon  the 
beaches,  or  they  clamber  upon  rocky  islets  in  remote  places.  They  are  said  to  be 
monogamous,  but  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  they  are  not  exclusively  so.  The  sea- 
son when  the  sexes  seek  each  other  is  in  the  last  of  the  spring  months,  or  the 
first  of  the  summer.  The  time  of  gestation  ia  about  nine  months.  The  mother 
and  her  ofTspring  manifest  a  stronger  mutual  affection  than  wo  have  observed  in 
any  other  of  the  marine  mammals ;  and  the  cub  seeks  her  protection,  clinging  to 
her  back  whenever  there  is  cause  for  alarm,*  and  she  "ill  at  all  times  place  herself 
between  the  foe  and  her  helpless  charge.  Frequently  has  she  been  known  to  clasp 
to  her  breast  the  terrified  little  one,  embracing  it  with  her  fore  flippers,  while 
receiving  mortal  wounds  from  the  whaleman's  lance.  A  male,  and  a  female  with 
her  cub,  are  often  seen  together ;  yet  herds  of  old  and  young,  of  both  sexes,  are 
met  with,  both  in  the  water  and  upon  the  ice.  When  undisturbt  i  they  are  quite 
inoffensive,  but  if  hotly  pursued  they  make  a  fierce  resistance ;  their  mode  of  attack 
is  by  hooking  their  tusks  over  the  gunwales  of  the  boats,  which  may  overturn 
them,  or  they  strike  a  blow  through  the  planking,  which  has  repeatedly  been  the 
means  of  staving  and  sinking  them.  Captain  Lyon  remarks:  "Mr.  Shirer  described 
the  fury  of  the  wounded  animals  as  being  quite  outrageous ;  but  those  which  were 
unhurt  quickly  forsook  their  suffering  companions."  There  may  have  been  instances 
of  a  combined  attack  of  Walruses  on  besieging  boats  ;  but  like  all  other  marine 
mammals  which  have  been  continuously  pursued,  they  soon  become  wary,  and  when 
there  is  cause  for  alarm  they  give  warning  to  their  neighboring  associates  by  loud 

♦Captain  T.  "W.  'WllHams,  a  whaling  master  a  bowline  was  easily  thrown  over  it,  and  the 
of  much  espcnence  and  observation,  states,  that  bereaved  creature  taken  on  deck,  when  it  instant- 
on  one  voyage  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  a  female  ly  mounted  its  mother's  back  and  there  clung 
Walrus  was  captured  two  miles  from  the  ship,  with  mournful  solicitude,  until  forced  by  the 
and  the  young  cub  kept  close  to  the  boats  that  sailors  to  again  return  to  the  sea;  but  even 
were  towing  its  dead  mother  to  the  vessel ;  and  then  it  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ship,  be- 
when  arrived,  made  every  effort  to  follow  her  as  moaning  the  loss  of  its  parent  by  uttering  dis- 
she  was  being  hoisted  on  board.     A  rope  with  tressful  cries. 


THE    WALRUS.  Wi 

roarings,  or  if  asleep,  by  pecking  at  them  with  their  tusks,  when  all  make  a  pre- 
cipitate retreat  from  the  ice,  or  they  will  tumble  and  roll  over  the  rocks  or  rough 
ground,  if  on  shore,  in  their  flight  to  the  sea,  unless  detained  with  their  young. 
"The  chase  of  the  Walrus  is  of  great  antiquity;  accordingly,  we  find  that  Ohthce, 
a  Norwegian,  about  the  year  890  gave  an  account  of  it  to  Alfred  the  Great,  having, 
he  says,  'made  a  voyage  beyond  Norway  for  the  more  commodite  of  fishing  horse- 
whales,  which  have  in  their  teeth  bones  of  great  price  and  excellence,  whereof  he 
brought  some  at  his  return  to  the  King.'" 

The  capture  of  the  Walrus  is  made  both  upon  the  water  and  land.  It  is 
stated  that  a  Greenlander  will  never  venture  on  the  encounter  alone,  nor  without 
the  assistance  of  three  or  four  expert  comrades.  Thc^  employ  a  harpoon,  which, 
however,  from  the  toughness  of  the  skin,  is  fixed  with  difficulty,  and  hence  it  is 
not  so  easy  an  operation  as  the  striking  of  a  whale.  When  the  instrument  holds, 
the  animal  is  allowed  to  swim  about  until  it  is  wearied ;  they  then  try  to  secure  it 
and  kill  it  with  lances.  But  even  under  these  circumstancis  the  process  is  not  an 
easy  one ;  the  creature,  as  we  have  stated,  getting  roused  and  fighting  a  hard  battle. 
It  is  necessary,  according  to  Zorgdrager,  to  make  a  selection.  Accordingly,  the 
fishers  aim  at  the  eyes,  which  obliges  the  animal  to  turn  its  head,  and  then  the 
fatal  blow  is  aimed  at  the  breast.  "In  this  crisis,"  remarks  Scoresby,  "the  best 
defense  against  those  enraged  animals  is  sea-sand,  which,  being  thrown  into  their 
eyes,  occasions  partial  blindness  and  obliges  them  to  disperse ;  then  the  captured 
one  becomes  a  more  easy  prey."  According  to  Lord  Sheldham's  account  of  the 
capture  of  Walruses  upon  the  land  in  early  times,  the  hunters,  armed  with  spears, 
and  under  cover  of  night,  with  trained  dogs,  made  an  eCFort  to  partially  disperse 
the  main  herd ;  then  falling  upon  detachments  of  the  animals,  which,  being  bewil- 
dered in  the  darkness,  were  then  slain  in  large  numbers.  Godman  relates  that 
one  of  the  Esquimaux  modes  of  killing  the  Walrus  in  summer  is,  when  perceiving  a 
large  herd  asleep  on  the  floating  ice,  they  paddle  to  some  other  piece  near  by, 
which  is  small  enough  to  be  moved.  On  this  they  lift  their  canoes,  and  then  bore 
holes,  through  which  they  fasten  their  lines ;  and  when  every  thing  is  prepared, 
they  quietly  paddle  their  ice -float  toward  the  herd,  each  hunter  sitting  by  his  own 
Bpear  and  line.  "When  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  animals  lie  snoring,  each 
man,  if  so  disposed,  strikes  a  different  one,  though  two  generally  attack  the  same. 
The  stricken  creature  instantly  makes  great  effort  to  escape,  but,  although  he  tum- 
bles into  the  water,  he  is  held  by  the  spear -lines  which  are  made  fast  to  the  ice. 
As  soon  as  the  victim  becomes  wearied,  the  hunter  launches  his  canoe,  and  at  a 
Bafe  distance  spears  him  to  death."     According  to  our  observation,  the  manner  of 


180         MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

capturing  the  animaU  by  tho  natives  about  the  eastern  coast  of  Behring  Sea,  and 
in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  is  by  shooting  them  when  on  shore  with  a  rifle,  and  pursu- 
ing them  when  in  the  water  with  spears  and  lances.  In  approaching  the  animal  in 
their  skin -boats,  a  paddle  formed  from  a  slab  of  whalebone  is  employed  to  gently 
beat  the  surface  of  the  sea,  which  is  thought  to  servo  as  a  kind  of  decoy  to  the 
creature ;  and  when  within  roach,  the  spear,  with  a  line  of  walrus  hide  attached,  is 
thrust  into  the  object  of  pursuit,  and  subsequently  it  is  dispatched  by  being  pierced 
with  knives  and  other  sharp  instruments.  But  the  natives  of  the  PribylofT  Islands, 
and  also  those  of  the  peninsula  of  Alaska  (who  have  become  excellent  marksmen), 
shoot  them  with  heavy  muskets. 

Great  numbers  of  Walruses  are  found  about  the  waters  of  the  Arctic  uniting 
with  Behring  Straits,  and  in  Behring  Sea,  and  innumerable  herds  still  resort  in  the 
summer  months  to  different  points  on  tho  southern  or  central  coasts  of  Alaska, 
particularly  at  Amak  Island  and  Point  Moller,  on  the  northern  shore  oi  the 
Alaskan  peninsula.  Within  the  last  ten  years  many  of  these  animals  have  been 
destroyed  by  the  whalers,  both  in  the  Arctic  and  Behring  Seas.  The  mode  of 
capture  was  by  shooting  them  when  upon  tho  ice  with  Spencer  rifles,  or,  if  in  the 
water,  by  harpooning  and  lancing  them.  To  the  natives  of  the  coasts  where  the 
Walrus  frequents,  the  animal  is  of  indispensable  value.  Tho  flesh  supplies  them 
with  food ;  the  ivory  tusks  are  made  into  implements  used  in  the  chase,  and  for 
other  domestic  purposes,  as  well  as  affording  a  valuable  article  of  barter ;  and  the 
skin  furnishes  the  material  for  covering  their  summer  habitations,  planking  for 
their  baidarras,  harness  for  their  dog- teams,  and  lines  for  their  fishing  -  gear.  But 
tho  savage  native  and  the  civilized  fisherman  and  sailor  are  not  the  only  enemies 
of  the  Walrus.  The  polar  bear  seeks  them  in  its  prowlings,  and  when  meeting 
with  a  herd,  tho  huge  beast  selects  and  seizes  one  of  the  smallest  individuals  with 
his  capacious  jaws,  and  the  resisting  struggles  of  the  poor  victim  to  free  itself  are 
quickly  suppressed  by  repeated  blows  with  bruin's  paws,  which  cause  almost  instant 
death.  Tho  murderous  beast  then  quickly  tears  the  skin  from  the  body  by  means 
of  his  long,  sharp  claws,  when  the  remains  are  devoured.  That  carnivorous  animal 
of  the  cetacean  order,  known  as  the  Orca,  or  Killer,  also  watches  for  the  young 
cubs  of  the  Walrus,  and  if  there  is  floating  ice  at  hand,  the  mother  with  her 
charge  clambers  upon  it  to  avoid  the  pursuer ;  if  this  fails,  however,  the  cub  will 
mount  the  mother's  back  as  the  only  place  of-  refuge.  But  the  Killer  is  rarely 
baffled  in  obtaining  the  object  it  seeks  by  this  mode  of  the  mother's  protection, 
for  the  pursuing  animal  dives  deeply,  and  then  comes  head  up  under  the  old 
Walrus,  with  such  force  as  to  throw  the  cub  from  the  dam's  back  into  the  water, 


THE    WALSU8.  jg. 

when  it  is  instantly  seized  and  swallowed  by  its  adversary.  Instances  have  been 
known  however,  where  the  Orca  has  paid  dearly  for  its  murderous  temerity,  as  the 
enn^ged  Walnas,  when  bereft  of  her  young,  will  sometimes  strike  her  tusL  into 
her  foe  with  such  effect  as  to  cause  a  mortal  wound  or  instant  death 

Among  the  numerous  enemies  of  the  Walrus,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 
whalers  are  included  they  having  been  driven  to  the  necessity  of  pursuing  them  on 
account  of  the  scarcity  of  Cetaceans.  Already  the  animals  have  suffered  so  gi.at  a 
lighter  at  their  hands  that  their  numbers  have  been  materially  diminished  and 
hey  have  become  wild  and  shy,  making  it  difficult  for  the  Esquimaux  to  success- 
fuUy  hunt  them,  m  order  to  obtain  a  necessary  supply  of  food.  It  is  stated  that 
there  has  been  much  suffering  among  those  harmless  people  of  the  far  north  on 
account  of  this  source  for  supplying  themselves  with  an  indispensable  article  of 
sustenance  being  to  an  alarming  extent  cut  off. 

According  to  The  Friend,  published  at  Honolulu,  March  1st,  1872,  the  whalers 
first  began  to  turn  their  attention  to  Walrus -catching  about  the  year  1868,  and  the 

the  litof  th"         I  '''I'  '^^"'"'^^^^  *°  ^^P^"^^  ^^^^^^^'  ^^-^  ^-g  -thin 

the    units  of  the  icy  barrier.     Hence,  much  of  the  whalers'  time  during  the  months 

of  July  and  August  has  been  devoted  to  capturing  the  Walrus;  and  it  is  estimated 

that  at  least  sixty  thousand   of  these  animals  have   been  destroyed  by  the  whale- 

fishers  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  Behring  Sea  during  the  last  five  years' which  pro- 

duced  about  fifty  thousand  barrels  of  oil,  with  a  proportionate  amount  of  ivory 


^ 


PART    III. 


THE  AMERICAN  WHALE-FISHERY. 


■■ili 


PART  III -THE  AMERICAN  WHALE-FISHERY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

ORIGIN  AND  ANCIENT  MODE  OF  WIIALE-FISHING. 

B™>  entering  upon  the  history  of  the  A„,erie»„  Whale-fishery,  we  will  intro- 
<Iuce  a  row  remark,  relative    to    the   origin    „„a    proscction  of  whaling    i      iZ 

fo^ow  through   the  nrarrfme  history  of  every  nation,  there  appears  to  be  no  post. 

.V       eeord  a,  to  the  .inro  when,  or  place  whore,  whale-f.shing  originated.     ,n  the 

ell     t,o„  of  varrous  whaling  a,„l  exploring  voyages  which  we  have  perused,  nea  W 

he   authors   agree  that  the    Basques  and    Biscayans  wore   the    ffrst  to  captu  e 

whales  a,  a  regular  eommcreial  pursuit.     Eminent  writers,  however,  maintain  that 

rif;  7:';:,"'"°  ,"■"  "r: '-  '"""^  "-''■■■  '="""-'  <" «-  ^»i ««'  "■»'  'i-y 

ca  „e     on  a  f.sh  ry  long  before  any  other  Europea.r  nation.      It  may  be  possible 

ncss.      llus,  however,  seems  to    be  very  doubtful,  when  we  look  to  tho  shores  of 
apan  and  Chinese  Tartary,  where,  ever  since  we   have   been  in  poss  ll  a^, 

01  able  knowledge  of  that  region  and   its  inhabitants,  wo   know   that  the  Japanese 
and  Tar  ar,  have  snecessfully  pursued   tho  whale  in   largo  boat,  from   their  shores 
Am  „g       „  Amenean  authorities  relative  to  the   foreign  whale-fishery  is  the  Uon 
of    ol t""T:  "''"■,'!'"'"«  "»"  ■-""■■-  '»  'ho  Congressional  Library  at  the  time 

has   g„e„,    n,    the   append,.,    to    that    work,    a   concise    and    somewhat    ehronologi: 
.1  account  of  whahng  eonnnerce,  beginning  as  early  a,  887,  and   following  down 
CO   the   present  century,   from   which  we   shall   quote   numerous  statistics   of  th^ 
.mmcnt  wn.e,-,  a,  also  extracts  from  the  works  of  other  authors. 


18G  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

Deduction  of  the  Origin  of  Commerce),  or,  as  ILikluyt  thinks,  about  890,  'Our 
excellent  King  Alfred'  received  from  one  Octher  [Ohthere?],  a  Norwegian,  an 
account  of  his  discoveries  northward  on  the  coast  of  Norway  ;  a  coast  which  seems 
to  have  been  before  very  little,  if  at  all,  known  to  the  Anglo-Saxons.  There  is 
one  very  remarkable  thing  in  this  account;  for  he  tells  King  Alfred  'that  he  sailed 
along  the  Norway  coast,  so  far  north  as  commonly  the  whale -hunters  used  to 
travel;'  which  h'mws  the  great  antiquity  of  whale  -  fishing ;  though  undoubtedly 
then,  and  long  a'.ter,  the  use  of  what  is  usually  called  whalebone  was  net.  known  ; 
so  that  they  fished  for  whnlos  mcrel_)  on  account  of  their  fat  or  oil.  Octher,  .cfter 
giving  a  very  curious  description  of  th'j  country  inhabited  by  the  Finmans,  proceeds 
to  say,  'i;C  visited  this  country  also  with  a  view  of  catching  horse-whales,  which 
had  bones  of  veiy  great  value  for  their  teeth,  of  which  ho  brought  some  to  tlie 
king ;  that  their  skins  were  good  for  making  ropes  for  ships.  These  whales  are 
mucli  loss  than  c  thcr  whales,  being  only  five  ells  long.  The  best  wliales  were 
caught  in  his  own  country,  of  which  some  were  forty -eight,  some  fifty  yards  long, 
lie  said  that  he  was  one  of  six  who  had  killed  sixty  in  two  days.'"* 

■'These  horse -whales,  spoken  of  by  Octher,  wore  what  we  call  sea-horses, 
and  the  Dutch,  sea-cows,  or  morses.  It  is  probable  that  the  length  of  the 
whales  caught  in  his  own  country  is  greatly  exaggerated.  Beale  quotes  from  many 
of  tlie  ancient  writers  instances  of  extraordinary  exaggerations  of  this  kind,  and 
doubts  whetlicr  any  whales  wore  ever  seen  of  a  greater  length  than  eighty  or  ninety 
feet,  even  admitting  they  were  once  found  of  larger  growth  than  any  now  seen  or 
captured.  The  earliest  authentic  data  that  I  have  been  able  to  find  respecting  the 
origin  of  the  whale-fishery,  as  a  regular  and  permanent  branch  of  trade,  is  that 
furnished  by  M'Culloch  in  his  Commercial  Dictionary;  which,  although  little  more 
than  'I  condensation  from  the  works  of  Anderson,  Macpherson,  and  others,  is  of  a 
more  reliable  character  than  any  similar  compilation  I   have  met  with.     At  the  time 

♦  This  would  seem  incrcdiblo ;  but  wben  wo  Diiines  Barrington,  in  the  account  of  Olrthoro's 
investifrntc  the  Ktiitemoiit,  iL  in  found  that  Olithero  voyapfo,  publishcu  in  liiw  Mi:,ciitlamr»,  translates 
was  a  Fhunish  writer.  Hcnco,  inntoiul  of  ivikon-  ilio  i)aHHngo,  containinf,'  hiti  exploit  in  the  whale- 
in;;  ill«  at  three  feet,  we  put  them  down  at  twen"  fishery,  in  the  'ordf.,  'he  had  I-illed  (ome  six; 
ty-so,en  iiicheH,  which  would  make  the  largest  nnd  si.xty  in  two  days.'  But,  conscious  of  tho 
whale  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long.  As  unintelligibloneas  of  the  sentence,  he  obscrvoa, 
to  the  killing  of  sixly  whales  in  two  days,  by  in  a  nc-te,  that  si/j-d,  he  conceives,  should  bo  a 
six  men,  as  stated  by  Ohthere,  Scoresliy  (Arclir  second  time  repeated  liere,  instead  of  ."y.WiV/,  or 
liiv/ioiin,  Vol.  II,  page  !))  gives  a  very  plain  ac-  sixty;  it  would  then  only  bo  assorted  that  six 
(■mint,  in  a  note,  of  how  this  .issortion  might  Vie  had  been  taken  in  two  days,  which  is  much  more 
truthful;   wiiich  is  as  follows;     "The  H(>;iorablo  probable  than  sixty." 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  187 

the  inhabitants  of  Massachusetts  were  making  their  first  attempts  in  the  capture  of 
the  whale  (about  1G50),  the  Biscayans  had  ah-eady  extensively  engaged  in  that 
business ;  the  Dutch  and  the  English  had  followed  their  example ;  the  Russian 
Company  had  obtained  an  exclusive  charter  for  it,  and  many  other  nations  of 
Europe  had  directed  their  attention  to  the  northern  fisheries." 

"It  is  probably  true,  as  has  been  sometimes  contended,"  says  M'CuUoch,  ''that 
the  Norwegians  occasionally  captured  the  whale  before  any  other  European  nation 
engaged  in  so  perilous  an  enterprise.  But  the  early  cifTorts  of  the  Norwegians  were 
not  conducted  on  any  systematic  plan,  and  should  only  be  regarded  in  the  same 
point  of  view  as  tho  fishing  expeditions  of  the  Esquimaux.  The  Biscayans  were 
certainly  the  first  people  who  prosecuted  the  whale-fishery  as  a  regular  commercial 
pur.suit.  They  carried  it  on  with  great  vigor  and  success  in  the  twelfth,  thirteenth, 
and  iburteenth  centuries.  In  12C1,  a  tithe  was  laid  upon  the  tongues  of  whales 
imported  into  Bayonne,  they  being  there  a  highly  esteemed  species  of  food.  In 
1388,  Edward  III  relinquished  to  Peter  de  Puayanne  a  duty  of  six  pounds  sterling 
a  whale,  laid  on  those  brought  into  the  port  of  Biarritz,  to  indemnify  him  for  the 
extraordinary  expenses  ho  had  incurred  in  fitting  out  a  fleet  for  the  service  of  his 
majesty.  This  fact  proves  beyond  dispute  that  the  fishery  carried  on  from  Biarritz 
at  the  period  referred  to  must  have  been  very  considerable  jr.deod ;  and  it  was  also 
prosecuted  to  a  great  extent  from  Cibourre,  Vieux  Boucan,  and  subsequently  from 
Rochellc  and  other  places.  The  whales  captured  by  the  Biscayans  were  not  so 
large  as  those  that  are  taken  in  the  Polar  Seas,  and  are  supposed  to  liave  been 
attracted  southward  in  the  pursuit  of  herrings.  They  wore  not  very  productive  of 
oil,  but  their  flesh  was  used  as  an  article  of  food,  and  the  whalebone  was  applied 
to  a  variety  of  useful  purposes,  and  brought  a  very  high  i)rice." 

In  1554,  Pierre  Belon  writes  concerning  the  Right  AV'halo,  or  at  least  one  of 
the  baljon  whales,  as  follows:  "The  animal  which  wo  call  the  whale  (baleen)  was 
named  by  the  ancient  Greeks,  j)Jialene;  by  the  Latins,  hakna;  and  is  designated  1)y 
the  Italians  as  the  capodoglio  (oil -head).  It  is  generally  considered  to  bo  the 
largest  of  all  fishes,  as  may  well  be  suppoued  from  the  size  of  the  bones  and  ribs 
of  the  animal,  which  is  enormous,  so  that  they  have  been  much  wondered  at  when 
exhibited.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  some  Lave  called  it  the  Cetc.  There  is  no 
ground  for  believing  that  the  whale  has  two  large  horns  on  its  head,  as  soni(>  ha^-n 
drawn  this  animal;  but  there  is  a  kind  of  tube  on  the  upper  part  of  I  lie  head, 
which  does  not,  however,  rise  above  the  skin,  and  the  existence  of  wli,  I.  only 
becomes  appaient  when  the  animal  throws  out  the  water  through  it,  wlsirli  has 
been   taken    in    by  the  muzzle.      This   it  docs  sometimes  with   such  violence    that 


I  * 


188  MARINE    MAUMALb    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

ships  have  been  capsized  by  it"  (the  jet  of  water).  "It  is  also  believed  that  the 
whale,  like  the  porpoise  and  the  dolphin,  jumps  entirely  out  of  the  water  in  order 
to  take  breath,  and  even  that  it  has  been  heard  blowing  from  a  great  distance  off. 
This  fish  has  neither  hair  nor  scales,  but  is  covered  with  smooth,  hard,  black,  and 
thick  skin,  or  hide,  under  which  there  is  a  layer  of  fat  fully  a  foot  in  thickness, 
and  this  is  what  is  sold  during  Lent.  The  tongue  is  marvelously  large,  and  excel- 
lent eating ;  and  it  is  customary  to  salt  and  preserve  it,  as  is  also  done  with  all 
the  rest  of  the  flesh  of  this  fish.  And  that  which  is  called  whalebone  {coste  de 
halene  —  literally,  whale's  ribs),  vnih.  which  ladies  nowadays  make  their  corsets 
and  stiffen  out  their  drosses,  and  which  the  beadles  of  some  churches  caiTy  as 
wands — these  ai'c  certain  pieces  cut  off  and  drawn  out  from  that  which  serves  as 
eye-lids  for  the  whale,  and  which  covers  his  eyes,  and  which  is  furnished  at  its 
extremity  with  a  kind  of  long,  stiff  hair.  This  is  what  the  Latins  call  the  pretentures, 
and  which  they  say  enables  the  animal  to  direct  his  course  through  the  sea.  As 
far  as  the  other  exterior  and  interior  parts  of  the  wLale  are  concerned,  they  clearly 
resemble  those  of  the  sea -hog,  and,  making  allowance  for  size,  those  of  the  por- 
poise and  dolphin." 

Although  this  writer  in  some  points  gives  us  a  very  erroneous  account  of  the 
whalebone  whale,  yet  in  a  general  view  it  is  an  intelligible  description  of  the 
animal ;  and  it  also  establishes  the  fact  that  the  animal's  baleen,  fat,  and  flesh  were 
utilized  at  that  period,  the  former  being  used  as  at  the  present  day  to  distort  the 
figu>'os  of  women  in  their  dress,  and  the  latter  was  esteemed  as  luxurious  food. 
The  author's  figure  of  the  bala)na  is  almost  entirely  in  error,  yet  it  is  hardly  more 
so  than  the  representations  of  the  same  animal  which  may  bo  found  in  popular 
worki  of  the  present  century.     Wo  continue  to  quote  from  ^M'Culloch : 

■'This  branch  of  industry  among  the  Basques  and  Biscayans  ceased  long  since, 
and  from  the  same  cause  that  has  occasioned  the  cessation  of  the  whale-fishery  in 
many  other  places — the  want  of  fish.  Whether  it  was  that  the  whales,  from  a 
sensr  of  the  dangers  to  which  they  exposed  themselves  in  coming  southward,  no 
longer  loft  the  icy  sea,  or  that  the  breed  had  been  nearly  destroyed,  certain  it  is 
that  they  gradually  became  loss  numerous  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  and  at  length 
ceased  almost  entirely  to  frequent  that  sea ;  and  the  fishers  being  obliged  to 
pursue  their  prey  upon  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  and  the  coasts  of  Iceland,  the 
Frencli  fishery  rapidly  fell  off.  Tlie  vo)rages  of  the  Dutch  and  English  to  the 
Northern  Ocean,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  discover  a  passage  through  it  to  India, 
though  they  failed  of  their  main  object,  laid  open  the  haunts  of  the  whale.  The 
companions  of  Bare  \tz,  who  discovered   Spitzbergen   in   160(),   and   of  Hudson,  who 


THE    AMERICAN   WHALE-FISHERY.  189 

soon  after  explored  the  same  seas,  I'opresonted  to  their  countrymen  the  amazing 
number  of  whales  with  which  they  were  crowded.*  Vessels  were  in  consequence 
fitted  out  for  the  northern  whale-fishery  by  the  English  and  Dutch,  the  harpooners 
and  a  part  of  the  crew  being  Biscayans.  They  did  not,  however,  confine  their 
efforts  to  a  fair  competition  with  each  other  as  fishers.  The  Muscovy  Company 
obtained  a  royal  charter,  prohibiting  the  ships  of  all  other  nations  from  fishing  in 
tbo  seas  round  Spitzbergen,  on  pretext  of  its  having  first  been  discovered  by  Sir 
Hugh  Willoughby.  There  can,  however,  be  no  doubt  that  Barontz,  and  not  Sir 
Hugh,  was  its  original  discoverer ;  though,  supposing  that  the  fact  had  been  other- 
wise, the  attempt  to  exclude  other  nations  from  the  surrounding  seas  on  such  a 
ground  was  not  one  that  could  be  tolerated.  The  Dutch,  who  were  at  that  time 
prompt  to  embark  in  a  commercial  pursuit  that  gave  any  hope  of  success,  eagerly 
entered  on  this  new  career,  and  sent  out  ships  fitted  equally  for  the  purposes  of 
fishing  and  of  defense  against  the  attacks  of  others.  The  Mu&oovy  Company  having 
attempted  to  vindicate  its  pretensions  l)y  force,  several  encounters  took  place  between 
their  ships  and  those  of  tliu  Dutch.  The  conviction  at  length  became  general  that 
there  was  room  enough  for  all  parties  in  the  northern  seas ;  and  in  order  to  avoid 
the  chance  of  coming  into  collision  with  each  other,  they  parceled  Spitzbergen  and 
the  adjacent  ocean  in  districts,  which  they  respectively  assigned  to  the  English, 
Dutch,  Hamburgers,  French,  Danes,  etc.  The  Dutch,  thus  left  to  prosecute  the 
fishery  without  having  their  attention  diverted  by  hostile  attacks,  speedily  acquired 
a  decided  superiority  over  all  their  competitors.  When  the  Europeans  first  began 
to  prosecute  tlie  fishery  on  the  coast  of  Spitzbergen,  whales  were  everywhere 
found  in  vast  numbers.  Ignorant  of  the  strength  and  stratagems  of  the  formid- 
able foe  by  which  they  Avero  now  assailed,  instead  of  betraying  any  symptoms  of 
fear,  they  surrounded  the  ships  and  crowded  ail  the  bays.  Their  capture  was,  in 
consequence,  a  comparatively '  eas}'  task,  and  many  wore  killed  which  it  was  after- 
ward necessary  to  abandon,  from  the  ships  being  already  full.  While  fisli  were 
thus  easily  obtained,  it  was  the  practice  to  boil  the  blubber  on  shore  in  the  north, 
and  fetch  home  only  the  oil  and  whalebone ;  and  perhaps  nothing  can  give  a  more 
vivid  idea  of  the  extent  and  importance  of  the  Dutch  fishery  in  the  middle  of  the 
eevcntoenth  century,  than  the  fact  that  they  constructed  a  considerable  village  (the 

*  Doctor  Lintleman   fitatcs  in  his  ■work  upon  foi-cncc  with  their  whale  -  fisheries  on  the  coast  of 

the  whale-fishery  (7>i(;  nr/7i.s(7ic  i'^iw/irrci  (/(■/•  i>('i(^  Jutland."    Ho  further  mentions,  that  "the  first 

ifchcn  SfcsUultc,  1G20  (o  1808),  "in  the  thirteenth  English  whaling -shijis  wero  sent  out  from  Hull 

and  fourteenth  centuries  iho  Hunseatio  cities  car-  in  1508,  to  the  coasts  of  Iceland  and  the  region 

ricd  on  war  with  Denmark  on  account  of  inter-  of  the  North  Capo." 


190  MAIilNE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

houses  of  which  were  all  previously  pioparcd  in  ITollaiul,  on  the  isle  of  Amster- 
dam), on  the  northern  shore  of  Spitzbergen,  to -which  they  gave  the  appropriate 
name  of  Smeercnberg  (from  stnecrcn,  to  melt,  and  bcrj,  a  mountain).  This  was  the 
grand  rendezvous  of  the  Dutch  whale-ships,  and  was  amply  provided  with  boilers, 
tanks,  and  every  sort  of  apparatus  required  for  preparing  the  oil  and  bone.  But 
this  was  not  all.  The  whale- ships  wore  attended  with  a  number  of  provision -ships, 
the  cargoes  of  which  were  landed  at  Smeercnberg,  which  abounded  during  the  busy 
season  with  well -furnished  shops,  good  inns,  etc.,  so  that  many  of  the  conveniences 
and  enjoyments  of  Amsterdam  were  found  within  about  cloven  degrees  of  the  Pt)le ! 
It  is  particularly  mentioned  that  the  sailors  and  others  were  every  morning  supplied 
with  what  a  Dutchman  regards  as  a  very  great  luxury,  hot  rolls  for  broakAist. 
Batavia  and  Smoerenberg  were  founded  nearly  at  the  same  period,  and  it  was  for  a 
considerable  time  doubted  whether  the  latter  was  not  the  more  important  establish- 
ment.    {.De  Jieste,  Ilktoira    des  Peches,  etc.,  tome  i,  p.  42.) 

"During  the  flourishing  period  of  the  Dutch  fishery,  the  quantity  of  oil  made 
in  the  nortu  was  so  great  that  it  could  not  be  carried  on  by  the  whale -ships,  and 
every  year  vessels  were  sent  out  in  ballast  to  assist  in  importing  the  produce  of 
the  fishery.  But  the  same  cause  which  had  destroyed  the  fishery  of  the  Biscayans 
ruined  that  which  was  carried  on  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Spitzbergen. 
Whales  became  gradually  loss  common,  and  more  and  more  difficult  to  catch. 
They  retreated  first  to  the  open  seas,  and  then  to  the  great  banks  of  ice  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  Greenland.  When  the  site  of  the  fishery  had  thus  been  removed 
to  a  very  great  distance  from  Spitzbergen,  it  was  foimd  most  economical  to  send 
the  blubber  direct  to  Holland.  Smeercnberg  was,  in  consequence,  totally  deserted, 
and  its  position  is  now  with  difficulty  discernible.  When  in  the  most  flourishing 
state,  toward  1G80,  the  Dutch  whale-fishery  employed  about  two  hundred  and  sixty 
ships  and  fourteen  thousand  sailors." 

Frederic  ^larton,  who  made  a  voyage  to  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland  during  the 
summer  of  1C71,  gives  a  quaint  account  of  the  British  whalers  at  that  period,  from 
which  wo  extract  the  following : 

"Wo  ,set  sail  the  15th  of  April,  1671,  about  noon,  from  the  island  of  Elbe. 
The  name  of  the  ship  was  Jonas  in  the  Whale,  Peter  Peterson,  of  Frisland,  master." 
Having  arrived  at  Spitzbergen,  the  writer  continues:  "On  the  5th  of  Juno,  in 
the  forenoon,  it  was  moderately  cold  and  sunshiny,  but  toward  noon  darkish  and 
cloudy,  with  snow  and  great  frost.  Wo  saw  daily  many  ships  sailing  about  the  ice. 
I  observed  that  as  they  passed  by  one  another,  they  hailed  one  another,  crying 
IloUal  and  asked  each  other  how  many  fish   they  had   caught,  but  would   not  stick 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE- FISHERY.  191 

sometimes  to  tell  more  than  they  had.  When  it  is  windy,  that  they  could  not 
hear  one  another,  they  waved  their  liats  to  signifio  the  number  caught.  But  when 
they  have  their  full  freight  of  whales,  they  put  up  their  great  flag  as  a  sign 
thereof;  then  if  any  hath  a  message  to  be  sent,  ho  delivers  it  to  them.  On  the 
12th  of  July  wc  had  a  gloomy  sun  — sunshine  all  day.  We  saw  but  very  few 
whales  more,  and  those  we  did  see  were  quite  wild,  that  we  could  not  come  near 
then..  That  night  it  was  so  dark  and  foggy  that  we  could  hardly  see  the  ship's 
length.  Wo  might  have  got  sea-horses  enough,  but  we  were  afraid  of  losing  our 
ships,  for  wo  had  examples  enough  of  them  that  had  lost  their  ships,  and  could 
not  come  to  them  again,  but  have  been  forced  to  return  home  in  other  ships. 
When  after  this  manner  any  have  lost  their  ships,  and  can  not  be  seen,  they  .lis- 
charge  a  cannon  from  the  ship,  or  sound  the  trumpets  or  hautboys,  accordin-r  us 
they  are  provided  in  their  ships,  that  the  men  that  arc  lost  may  find  their  ships 
again."  * 

As  to  the  mode  of  capturing  and  flaying  the  mystketus,  as  well  as  the  process 
of  extracting  the  oil  from  the  blubber,  the  ^u-rator  gives  the  following  description, 
under  the  headings  respectively  of  "How  they  Catch  the  Whale,"  "What  they  do 
with  the  Dead  Whale,"  and  "Of  the  Trying  out  of  the  Train-oyl  from  the  Fat." 

"First,  it  is  to  be   obscrv'd,  that  when   it's   like  to  be   a  good  year   to    catch 
whales  m,   there   is  many  whUe-Jhh   to   be    seen   before:    but  where  wc  see    many 
seaks,  there  wo  do  not  e.xpect  to  meet  with  many  whales;   for  they  say,  that  they 
eat  up  the   food  of  the  whale,  wherefore  the  whales  will   not  stay  in  suc.'i   empty 
places,   but   go    to    find   out   better,   and    so    come    to   Spitzbergen,  for  there,   at  the 
shoar,  we   see  great  plenty  of  the  small   sea-snails,  and  perhaps  some  other  small 
fish.      They  are    caught   after    the    following    manner:    When    they   sec   whalet^    or 
when    they   hear  them    blow  or    spout,    they  call    in    to   the   ship,    Fall,   Ml;   tlien 
every  body  must   bo    ready  to   get    into    the    long-boat   that    ho    doth  belong   to; 
commonly   six    men   go    into    every  long-boat,   and    sometimes  seven,   according  as 
the   long-boats  are   in   bigness;   they  all   of  them   row  until   they   come  very  near 
unto    the  whale;    then   doth  the  harpoonier  arise,   who   sits  always  before    in    the 
boat,  where   the  harpoon,  or  the  sharp   iron   made   like   unto  an  arrow  fixed   to  a 
stick,   doth  also  lie  on  the   foremost  l.ard    of   the   long-boat,   which   the    seamen 
call   the  Staffen,  that  is,  the  broad  piece  of  wood   that  cometh  up  before  the   boat 
from  the   bottom,  and  stands  up   higher  than   all   the  rest.      But  when  the  whale 
runs  strait  down   towards   the   bottom    underneath   the   water,   then   ho   doth    draw 
the  rope  very   hard,  so   that  the    upper  part   of  the    long-boat   is    even   with    the 
surface  of  the  water ;   nay,  ho  would  certainly  pull  it  down  to  the  bottom,  if  thcv 


192  MABINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

should  not  give  him  rope  enough.  This  ho  doth  commonly  ■whore  the  sea  is 
deepest ;  and  this  doth  require  an  incredible  force  to  draw  so  many  hundred 
fathoms  of  rope  under  water.  This  gives  me  occasion  to  remember,  that  when 
we  on  the  27th  of  April,  in  the  year  1672,  did  fling  out  our  lead,  near  St.  Kilda, 
behind  Scotland,  into  the  sea,  whore  it  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  fathom  deep, 
when  the  weather  was  calm,  and  when  we  would  pull  it  up  again,  it  was  so  heavy 
that  twenty  men  had  much  to  do  to  heave  it.  The  harpoonicr  takoth  his  har- 
poon, and  holds  the  point,  or  the  iron  thereof,  togeiher  with  the  rope  or  line 
of  five  or  seven  fathom  long,  about  an  inch  thick,  and  is  laid  up  round  like  a 
ving,  that  it  may  not  hinder  the  harpoon  when  it  is  flung,  for  as  soon  as  he  doth 
fling  or  dart  the  harpoon,  this  line  follows  ;  for  it  is  more  pliable  than  the  rest 
that  are  fastened  to  it,  wherewith  they  pursue  the  whale.  It  is  made  of  the  finest 
and  softest  hemp,  and  not  daubed  with  tar,  but  it  doth  swell  in  the  water,  and 
so  it  grows  hard.  The  harpoonier  darts  his  harpoon  with  the  right  hand  at  the 
fish.  When  the  whale  is  hit  with  the  harpoon,  all  the  men  that  are  in  the 
long-boat  turn  themselves  about  and  look  before  them,  and  they  lay  their  oars 
nimbly  upon  the  sides  of  the  long-boat.  There  is  a  man  in  the  long-boat, 
whose  business  it  is  to  look  after  the  rope;  for  in  each  of  these  long-boats 
there  is  a  whole  heap  of  lines,  between  the  two  seats  or  benches ;  this  heap  is 
divided  into  three,  four,  or  five  parts,  and  each  of  them  is  of  eighty,  ninety,  to 
one  hundred  fathoms  long.  The  first  of  them  is  ty^d  to  the  fore-runner,  or  small 
line ;  as  the  whale  runs  under  the  water,  they  tyo  more  and  more  line  to  it,  and 
if  in  one  boat  there  should  not  be  enough,  they  make  use  of  those  that  are  in  the 
other  long-boats.  These  ropes  or  lines  are  thicker  and  stronger  than  the  fore- 
runner, and  are  made  of  strong  and  tough  hemp,  and  tarr'd  over.  The  line -fur- 
nisher, or  the  man  that  doth  look  after  the  ropes,  and  also  the  other  men  that 
are  in  the  long-boat,  must  have  groat  care  that  the  ropes  or  lines  may  not  be 
entangled  when  they  run  out  so  swift,  or  that  they  may  not  run  towards  the  side 
of  the  long-boat,  for  then  the  long-boat  would  be  overset,  and  many  men  lose 
their  lives,  if  other  long-boats  were  not  near  to  their  assistance.  The  line  must 
run  just  before,  in  the  middle  of  the  long-boat,  that  is  called  the  Stave  by  the 
seamen,  and  by  reason  of  this  strong  and  violent  motion,  the  wood  and  rope 
would  be  set  on  fire.  But  to  prevent  this,  the  harpoonier  hath  a  wc-  /ag  ly'd  to 
a  stick  (like  unto  a  mop)  ready  at  hand,  wherewith  he  wets  the  wood  without 
ceasing.  The  other  three  men  that  arc  in  the  long-boats  take  also  care  of  the 
lines,  as  well  when  they  are  let  out,  as  when  they  are  taken  in  again  ;  and  when 
they  can  not  hold  it  with  their  hands,  they  wind  it  about  the  staves  of  the  boat, 


TnE    AMERICAN    JVEALE-FISHERY.  198 

and  so  thoy  do  stop  it  from  going  any  further.  Another,  that  is  called  the  steer- 
man,  stands  behind  in  the  long-boat,  and  steers  the  boat  with  an  oar,  and  ho 
takes  groat  care,  and  minds  the  rope,  to  see  which  way  it  runs  out,  for  if  it  doth 
go  towards  either  side,  and  doth  not  run  just  before  over  the  stave,  lie  so  guides 
the  boat,  that  it  may  run  exactly  out  before.  The  whale  runs  away  with  the 
long-boat  as  swift  as  the  wind.  If  the  harpoonier  can,  he  doth  dart  the  harpoon 
just  behind  the  spout- hole  of  the  whale,  or  in  the  thick  fat  of  his  back,  where 
they  also  do  launce  him,  for  that  maketh  him  spout  blood  sooner  than  if  wounded 
in  any  other  place,  and  die  sooner  than  if  you  should  launce  them  into  their  belly, 
or  through  the  guts.  The  first  whale  we  caught  spouted  blood  in  such  a  quantity, 
that  the  sea  was  tinged  by  it  wherever  he  swam,  whercunto  the  Mallemucks  flock'd 
in  great  numbers,  as  I  have  mentioned  before.  They  also  launce  the  whales  near 
their  privy -parts,  if  they  can  come  at  it;  for  if  they  are  run  in  there,  it  doth 
pain  them  very  much  ;  nay,  even  when  they  are  almost  dead,  if  you  run  in  your 
launce  thereabout,  it  causes  the  whole  body  to  tremble.  For  the  most  part  the}' 
do  not  much  mind  where  they  launce  or  push  them ;  for  there  is  no  time  to  take 
deliberation,  but  they  strike  at  him  as  well  as  thoy  can.  But  about  the  head  the 
harpoon  can  do  him  no  hurt,  because  the  fat  is  but  very  thin  there  on  the  bones, 
which  the  whales  know  as  well  as  we ;  for  when  they  find  themselves  in  danger, 
so  that  they  can  not  escape  the  harpoon,  they  rather  leave  their  head  than  their 
back  undefended,  for  there  the  harpoon  breaks  out  easier,  and  so  the  whale  gets 
away,  like  one  that  hath  no  mind  to  fight  any  longer.  The  use  of  the  harpoon 
is,  to  tye,  as  it  were,  the  whales  with  them,  that  they  may  not  run  away.  It 
is  shaped  like  an  arrow  before :  it  hath  two  sharp  beards,  they  are  sharp  at  the 
edge,  and  have  a  broad  back,  like  unto  a  hatchet  that  is  sharp  before  and  blunt 
behind,  or  on  the  back,  so  that  it  may  not  cut  with  its  back,  for  else  it  would 
tear  out,  and  all  your  labour  would  bo  lost.  The  iron  handle  is  thicker  behind 
than  before,  and  it  is  hollow,  whereinto  they  put  the  stick.  Before  this  hollow 
part,  the  fore -goer  is  fastcn'd  or  ty'd,  that  is  to  say  the  foremost  rope.  Those  are 
the  best  harpoons  that  are  made  of  clean  and  fine  steel,  and  are  not  hardened  too 
much,  so  that  you  may  bend  it  without  sutapping,  for  oftentimes  two  hundred 
pounds  are  lost  (for  a  midling  whale  is  esteem'd  at  so  much)  in  a  minute's  time 
for  want  of  a  good  and  well-temper'd  harpoon.  The  wooden  stick  is  fastened 
within  the  iron  collet  or  funnel  of  the  harpoon,  with  packthread  wound  all  about 
the  iron  ;  somewhat  higher  up,  about  two  spans  ofl",  there  is  a  hole  made  through 
the  stock.  The  harpoon  is  light  behind,  and  heavy  towards  the  point,  or  before, 
like  an  arrov/,  that  is  made  heavy  before  with  iron,  and  light  behind  with  feathers, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


^O 

^/a^ 


^-,V4 


C  ^"^^ 


^ 


:/. 


1.0 


I.I 


11.25 


1^  |2.8     I 

■  50     *^™        IHi 


2.5 
2.2 


2.0 


1.4 


iim 
I 


1.6 


V  ^■^y 

'^<i»'* 
"> 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WEST  M/ttN  STRUT 

WIUTM.N.Y.  MSIO 

(716)  S7a-4303 


1G4  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

so  that  fling  it  which  way  you  will,  it  cloth  fall  always  upon  the  point.  Through 
this  hole  Cometh  a  piece  of  packthread,  wherewith  the  end  of  the  fore-runner  is 
fastened  to  the  handle  or  stock  of  the  harpoon,  but  this  is  soon  torn  off,  and  it 
servcth  for  nothing  more  after  the  harpoon  sticks  in  the  body  of  the  whale ; 
neither  is  the  wooden  liandle  of  any  further  use,  and  so  it  doth  soon  come  out 
from  the  iron.  When  the  whale  is  struck  with  the  harpoon,  all  the  other  long- 
boats row  out  before,  and  take  notice  which  way  the  line  doth  stand,  and  some- 
times they  pull  at  the  rope  or  line.  If  it  is  stiff  and  heavy,  the  whale  doth  draw 
it  still  with  his  might;  but  if  it  doth  hang  loose,  so  that  the  long-boat  is  before 
and  behind  equally  high  out  of  the  water,  then  the  men  pull  in  the  rope  again, 
and  the  rope -giver  laycth  it  down  in  very  good  order,  round,  and  one  row  above 
the  other,  that  if  the  whale  should  draw  on  again,  he  may  have  it  ready  to  give 
him  without  being  entangled.  Ilcro  is  also  this  to  be  observed,  that  if  the  whale 
runs  upon  the  level,  they  must  not  give  him  too  much  rope,  for  if  he  should  turn 
and  wind  himself  much  and  often  about,  he  miglit  easily  wind  the  rope  about  a 
rock  or  heavy  stone,  and  so  fasten  it  to  it,  and  so  the  harpoon  would  come  out, 
and  all  the  labour  would  be  lost,  which  hath  often  hapned,  and  we  ourselves  lost 
one  that  way.  The  other  long-boats  that  are  towed  behind,  wherein  the  men  look 
all  before  them,  and  sit  still,  and  let  the  whale  draw  them  along.  If  the  whale 
doth  rowl  upon  the  ground,  s:  that  the  long-boats  or  sloops  lye  still,  they  draw 
their  lines  in  again  by  degrees,  and  the  rope -master  doth  lay  them  down  again  in 
their  proper  places,  as  they  hud  been  laid  before.  When  they  kill  the  whale  with 
launces,  they  also  pull  their  lines  in  again,  untill  they  come  near  to  the  whale,  yet 
at  some  distance,  that  the  others  may  have  room  to  launce.  But  they  must  have 
great  care,  that  all  the  lines  of  every  sloop  may  not  bo  cut  off  together,  because 
some  whales  sink,  and  others  do  swim  even  with  the  water  when  they  are  dead, 
which  nobody  can  tell  beforehand,  whether  they  will  do  one  or  the  other.  The 
fat  ones  do  not  sink  presently  after  they  are  fresh  killed,  but  the  lean  ones  sink 
immediately  after  they  are  dead,  but  after  some  few  days  they  come  up  again,  and 
swim  on  the  water.  But  it  would  be  too  long  a  while  for  a  man  to  stay  till  he 
Cometh  up  again,  and  the  sea  is  never  so  quiet  that  one  can  stay  long  in  the  same 
place ;  and  where  the  sea  is  quiet,  and  without  waves,  there  the  stream  doth  carry 
the  ships  and  the  ice  along  together,  so  that  we  should  be  forced  to  leave  the 
whale  unto  others,  that  would  find  him  dead  some  days  after.  'Tis  true,  this  is  the 
easiest  way  to  catch  whales,  but  it  is  very  nasty  and  stinking  work ;  for  louj;  tnd 
white  maggots  grow  in  their  flesh,  they  are  flat,  like  unto  worms  that  breed  in 
men's  bellies,  and   they  smell  worse  than  ever  I  smelt  anything  in  my  life.     The 


TBE    AlIEBIOAN   WHALE-FIBHEBT.  jM 

Ir  fr,'"'^  "r '"? '°  ""^  ""■""■ "'°  '''^'■■■"- "''  ■"»*  "^^ »'«™  =';  «°- 

™,ra  a  foot  Ingh  above  lh«  water,  others  to  their  nuddlc,  and  then  they  do  burst 
eas.ly,  and    g,™  a  very  great   report.      They  begin    immediately  to  stink,  and   this 
enereases  hourly  and  their  flesh  boil,  and  ferments  like  un.o  beer  or  ale,  and  holes 
break   m   the.r  bell.es,  and   their  guts  eome  out.      If  any  man   is  enolined  to  sore 
eye,,    h„   vapor  mflamos   then,  immediately,  a,  if  quieklime  wa,   flung  i„,o  them 
But  when  the  l,v„  whales  rise  and  ,w:m  again,  ,on,„  of  them  are  astoLhd,  othe", 
w.ld  or  star     mad.     To  those  that  are  wild  we  eome  softly  or  gently  from  bin 
as    ve  do   when  we  are  going   to   trapan  them,    for  when  the  wind   i,  down,  th 
weather  cam    and   aw  serene,  so  that  the  sea  doth  not  foam  or  roar,  the  whale 
hoar  mmiediately  the  striking  of  the  oars 

■■If  many  ,„,all  iee-sheets  lye  near  to  one  another,  so  that  we  oun  not  follow 

the  whalo  w«h  our  sloops  or  long-boat.,  we  fetch  „>  our    line  with  all  might  and 

srength,  and  ,f  w.th  one  or  more  pulls  „„  „.„    ,,,„,.  „„.  ,^,  „.,  .^^^^ 

f  not,  wo  chop  off  the  rope  or   line.     The  whale  i,  best  and   surest  s.  nek  wi.l    a 

h  rpoon  when  he   spouts  water,  a,   is  already  said  above,  for  wc  do   observe    ta 

:rsom^-        '      ""'  '"'  '"'''■  '""'  '"'^  ">™  "*°-  "»<■  »™  -etime    und: 
and  somefme,  above  water,  so  that  their  back  doth  not  quite  dry,  and  before  wo 

n,.  aware  of  .t  ho  fling,  up  hi,  tail  behind  out  of  the  sea.lnd  so  bids  u.  g  od-    - 

Ino  whrlos  mav  easily  bo  caufflif   wlmn   ti,-.    >■     •  -'' 

.    y.u.mij   oc  caugiit  uiien  the  air  is  very  serene  and   clear    anrl    thn 

sea  , met    and  where  tbore  float  neither  ,reat  nor  small  ioe-,hee^  so  2  we  .  ,^ 

go  ,n  between  them  with  our  boats  or  sloops,  to  follow  them;   fo    at  the  ielflelds 

lie:  "t  tb ':  7"'°°'V>;°,  "»■'  ™^  '^-»»'-  »'  '"-,  l-haps  by  reason  o  1 
.ce  that  b.te  them,  lies.des,  again,t  the  ico-sheets  the  sea  beat,  dahes  and 
foam,,  w„h  small  eurling  wave,,  so  that  the  whales  do  not  observe  .'.omM  , 
stnkmg  of  the  oars,  and  so  they  are  easily  struck  with  the  harpoon.  It  s  v  v 
dangerous  ,„  kd  a  female,  chiefly  when  she  is  big  wi.h  young  for  they  dc  ™d 
hen„elvc.  very  long,  and  arc  harder  to  be  kilfd  than  «  male  on  .  Oft  nit  he 
long.boa,s  w„,t  s.x  or  seven  hours,    nay,  »  whole  day,   for  a  whale,    befo,„  th!; 

"Where  groat  quantity  of  small  ico  is  crowded   together,  the,^  it  is  also  very 

::r:rti:terr;r;r-n^i:::  '^ir  "'-.'7- 
the ,..  f  ti  long  boat,  and  doth  draw  on  the":;';;  to";':!:::;? :;' 

:.::n:ei:  t:i:r:t^;Ters:^:l::^^"^" 

..oops  after  him.    If  he  doth  run  LderneathTrtt  I^d  tl^'^ 


196  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

a  knife  in  his  hand,  which  they  call  the  chopping- knife,  and  if  the  ice-field  be 
hollow,  or  spongy,  or  full  of  holes  in  the  middle,  so  that  the  whale  can  fetch 
breath  'ndcrncath  it,  and  the  rope  is  not  long  enough  to  follow  him,  and  if  the 
ice  be  several  miles  long,  they  draw  the  rope  in  as  much  as  possibly  they  can, 
until  it  be  strait,  and  then  he  chops  it  off,  loosing  the  piece  of  the  rope  whereon 
tlie  harpoon  is  fastened,  that  sticketh  in  the  body  of  the  whale,  yet  not  without 
great  loss,  for  oftentimes  they  run  away  with  the  lines  that  belong  to  five  and 
more  sloops.  It  happens  very  often,  that  they  run  to  the  ice  with  the  long-boats, 
so  that  they  dash  againit  it,  as  if  they  would  break  it  into  pieces,  which  also  very 
often  happens.  But  when  the  whale  rises  again,  they  oftentimes  fling  one  or  two 
more  harpoons  into  him,  according  as  they  find  he  is  tired  more  or  less ;  then  he 
dives  under  water  again.  Some  swim  or  run  even  all  along  on  the  water,  and  they 
play  with  their  tail  and  fins,  so  that  we  must  have  great  care  that  we  may  not 
come  too  near  them.  When  the  whales  fling  their  tails  about  in  this  manner,  they 
wind  the  line  about  their  tail,  so  that  we  need  not  to  fear  the  harpoon  tearing 
out,  for  then  they  are  ty'd  strong  and  firm  enough  with  the  rope.  After  they  are 
wounded,  they  spout  with  all  their  might  and  main,  so  that  you  may  hear  them  as 
far  off  as  you  may  a  cannon  ;  but  when  they  are  quite  tired,  it  comoth  out  only 
by  drops,  for  he  hath  not  strength  enough  to  force  the  water  up,  and  therefore  it 
sounds  as  if  you  held  an  empty  mug  or  bottle  iiiidor  water,  and  the  water  runs 
into  it.  And  this  sound  is  a  certain  sign  nf  his  feebleness,  and  that  he  is  going  to 
expire.  Some  whales  blow  blood  to  the  very  last,  after  they  have  been  wounded, 
and  these  dash  the  men  in  the  long-boats  most  filthily,  and  d3'c  the  sloopa  red  as  if 
they  were  painted  with  a  red  colour ;  nay,  the  very  sea  is  tinged  red  all  along  where 
they  swim.  Tliose  whales  that  are  mortally  wounded  heat  themselves,  that  they 
reek  while  tiiey  are  alive,  and  the  birds  sit  on  them,  and  eat  on  them  while  they 
are  still  alive.  When  tlie  whales  blow  up  the  water,  they  fling  out  with  it  some 
fattish  substance  that  floats  upon  the  sea  like  sperm,  and  this  fat  the  Mallemucks 
devour  greedily,  of  which  several  thousands  attend  him,  so  that  a  whale  often  hath 
more  attendants  than  a  king  hath  servants.  Sometimes  also  the  harpoons  break 
out  I  then  often  long-boats  of  other  ships  attend,  and  as  soon  as  they  see  that  the 
harpoon  is  come  out,  they  fling  their  own  into  iiim,  and  the  whale  is  theirs,  altho' 
the  first  harpoon  hath  almost  kill'd  the  whale,  yet  if  he  doth  get  loose,  the  second 
party  claims  him,  and  the  first  must  look  for  another.  Sometimes  at  the  same  time 
two  harpoons,  belonging  to  two  several  ships,  are  struck  into  the  whale ;  such  ones 
are  divided  equally,  and  each  one  haih  half:  the  other  two,  or  three,  or  more  sloops, 
as  many  as  there  is  of  them,  wait  for  the  whales  coming  up  again,  and  when  they 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  197 

see   that  he   is  tir'd,   they  kill  him  outright  with  laimces.      In    doing   this   is  the 
greatest  danger,  for  the  first  that  do  fling  the  harpoon  into  him  are  drawn  along  by 
the  whale,   and   are  at  a   good  distance  from  him,   but   those   that   kill    him  with 
launccs  are  as  well  upon  his  body  as  at  his  sides,  according  as  the  whale  turns  and 
wmds  himself,  and  they  receive  many  severe  blows.     Here  the  steerman  must  take 
care  to  observe  how  the  whale  runr,  and  turns  himself  about,  that  the  harpoonie- 
may  reach  him  with   his  launces ;  all   the  other  men   in  the  sloops  row  diligently 
sometimes  forwards,  and  sometimes  backwards,  which  they  call  rowing  on  and  strik- 
ing, and  when  the  whale  lifts  up  himself  out  of  the  water,  he  commonly  doth  strike 
about  with  his  tail  and  fins,  that  the  water  dasheth  up  like  dust.     A  long-boat  he 
values  no  more  than   dust,  for  ho  can   beat  it  all  into  shatters  at  a  blow;    but  a 
great  ship  is  too  hard  for  him,  und  if  he  strikes  against  it  with  his  tail,  he 'feels  it 
more  than  the  ship,  for  he  doth  .0  paint  the  ship  with  his  own  blood,  that  it  maketh 
him  vc-y  feeble.     A  good  steerman  is  next  unto  the  harpoonicr  most  useful  in  the 
sloop ;   he  Lteers  with  one  oar  and  doth   look  out  before ;   the  other  four  men  turn 
their  back   to   the   head,  and   look  towards  the  stern,  therefore  doth   the   steerman 
and  harpoonier  always  cry,  row  on,  or  strike,  that  is  to  say,  row  near  to  the  whale 
or  else  keep   farther  off.      The  launces  have  a  wooden   stick  or  handle  above  two 
fathoms  long,  or  somewhat  shorter  than  a  pikestaff;   the  iron   thereof  is  commonly 
a  fathom   long,  and  pointed  before  like  unto  a  pike;   it  is  made  of  steel  or  tough 
iron,  that  it  may  bend  without  breaking.     For  after  you  have  made  a  deep  hole  in 
his  body  with  your  launces,  you  poke   into   it  with  them  one  way  and    the  other 
way,  as  they  do  when   they  poke  for  eels,   but  if  he   doth  get  one   or  more    out 
of  your  hands,  you  take  another,  for  every  sloop  hath  at  least  five,  si::    or  seven 
and  yet  sometimes  be  has  them  all  out  of  three,  four,  or  more  boats  sticking   in 
his  body. 

"After  the  whale  is  killed  they  cut  off  his  tail;  some  keep  the  tail  and  fins, 
and  hang  them  up  at  the  outside  of  their  ship,  for  that  defends  them  from  the  ice 
when  it  prosseth  upon  the  ship.  The  tail  hinders  the  boat  in  its  course,  because 
It  doth  lye  across,  and  that  is  the  reason  why  they  cut  it  off  Before  the  tail  they 
fasten  a  piece  of  a  rope,  and  at  the  other  end  at  the  stern  of  the  last  s'oop. 
There  is  in  all  four  or  five  sloops  fastened  to  one  another  behind,  and  so  they  row 
one  behind  the  other  to  the  great  ship.  When  they  have  brought  the  whale  to  the 
ship,  they  tye  it  with  ropes  fast  to  the  ship  ;  that  part  where  the  tail  is  cut  off 
they  fasten  to  the  fore-part  of  the  ship,  and  the  head  towards  the  stern,  about 
the  middle,  near  the  great  shrowds  of  the  mainmast  on  the  larboard  of  the  ship ; 
it  is  seldom  that  a  whale  doth  reach  farther  than  from  the  poop  to  the  middle  of 


108  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NOItTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

the  ship,  except  the  vessels  are  very  small.  By  the  larboard  is  to  bo  understood 
that  side  of  the  ship  that  is  at  j-our  right  hand  as  you  go  from  before  towards  the 
stern  ;  but  that  side  of  the  ship  that  is  on  your  right  hand  as  you  go  from  the 
stern  towards  the  fore -part  is  called  star -board,  because  you  go  from  the  steer 
forward. 

"Whoever  of  the  ships'  crews  sees  a  dead  whale,  cries  out  Fish  mine,  and  there- 
fore the  merchants  must  pay  him  a  ducat,  for  his  care  and  vigilance.  Many  of 
them  climb  often  up  into  the  mast,  in  hopes  to  have  a  ducat,  but  in  vain.  When 
the  dead  whale  is  thus  fastened  to  the  ship,  two  sloops  hold  on  the  other  side 
of  the  fish  or  whale,  and  in  each  of  them  doth  stand  a  man  or  boy,  that  has  a 
long  hook  in  his  hands,  wherewith  he  doth  hold  the  boat  to  the  ship,  and  the 
harpoonier  stands  before  in  the  sloop,  or  upon  the  whale,  with  a  leathern  suit  on, 
and  sometimes  they  have  boots  on.  Underneath  the  hook  are  some  sharp  nails 
fixed,  that  they  may  be  able  to  stand  firm,  for  the  whale  is  very  slippery,  so  that 
one  may  easily  fiill,  as  upon  slippery  ice.  These  two  men  that  cut  the  fat  off  have 
their  peculiar  wages  for  it,  viz:  about  four  or  five  rix- dollars.  First,  they  cut  a 
large  piece  from  behind  the  head,  by  the  eyes,  which  they  call  the  Renter  -  piece, 
that  is  as  much  as  to  say  the  winding- piece ;  for  as  they  cut  all  the  other  fixt  all 
in  I'ows,  from  the  whale  towards  the  end,  so  thi'y  cut  this  great  kenter- piece  larger 
and  wid'H"  than  all  the  rest.  This  piece,  when  it  is  cut  round  about  from  the 
whale,  reaches  from  the  water  to  the  cradle,  (that  is  the  round  circle  that  goeth 
round  about  the  middle  of  the  mast,  and  is  made  in  the  shape  of  a  basket),  from 
whence  you  may  guess  at  the  bigness  of  a  whale.  A  strong  and  thick  rope  is  fixed 
to  this  kenter -piece,  and  the  other  end  is  fixed  underneath  the  cradle,  whereby  the 
whale  is  as  it  was  born  up  out  of  the  water,  that  they  may  come  at  it,  and  by 
reason  of  the  grout  weight  of  the  whale,  the  ship  leans  towards  that  side.  One 
may  judge  how  tough  the  fat  is,  for  in  this  piece  an  hole  is  made,  through  which 
the  rope  is  fastened,  yet  not  deep  into  the  fat,  wherewith  they  turn  the  fish  at 
pleasure.  Then,  as  is  before  said,  they  cut  another  piece  down  hard  by  this,  tliat 
is  also  hauled  up  to  the  ship  ;  and  then  in  the  ship  they  cut  it  into  less  pieces 
about  a  foot  square.  These  two  men  have  in  their  hands,  as  well  as  those  that 
stand  on  the  whale,  long  knives,  wherewith  they  cut  these  square  pieces.  These 
knives  are,  with  their  hafts,  about  the  length  of  a  man  ;  and  the  more  the  fat  of 
the  whale  is  loosened,  just  as  the  hide  is  flea'd  from  an  ox,  the  higher  must  they 
pull  up  tho  fat  with  their  pulleys,  that  they  may  cut  it  the  easier.  And  when 
they  have  drawn  up  this  fat,  the  men  take  it  to  them  into  the  ship,  and  loosen 
the  rope  that  it  was  fastened  unto.     The  rope  is  fastened  with  a  ring  whcreinto  they 


TUE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 

X  4/  (7 

! M     •    T','""™''-     "^  "'-'  »'""J»  »"otl,cr,  that  ,.„i|,  .  rtort  hook  „    ,    ' 

larboard.     Whe„  .t  i.  a  g„„d  ,;,„„  („  „„,^.|,  „,,,,,„      „j  j.  no     0.7  ,  T 

toiv  Bomot hues  several  fish  behind  li.ei,.    i  ■  .         .  '  "'"^ 

tho  great  piece,  of  Uo^^Zt^T^^C'  "T  '"T '■   ""'  "'°^  ""'  °"'^ 
when  the,,  I  '  ^  """   >"iJ«rao.'tli  into  the  sjiip       But 

whn  they  have  no  „ore  vessob  to  put  their  fat  into,  they  ,ail  into  an  h,rbor    1 

to  a  Aeet  of  ,ce    and  ,o  they  drive  along  with   Iho  >,.re„,„.     The  other  „,en     , 
h     fat  ,nto  .nail  pieeo,,  on  a  table;  on   the  further  side  of  the  e    "■    , 

fastened,  whereunto  they  fasten  a  hook,  which   they  put  into  the   f,     t la.    ii 

pieces  are  less  than  the  other,  about  three  foot  long  witl     ijl    h    t.     The      u      I 

-  the  soft  and  tough  fat  into  sS';::! ::  j^: ::^z  :::::z 
":X:i  1 :,;:  :r:r  rrr'° ":  r '-  '*™'  -- ""  "- 

and  of  some  red.    The  wllfat  is  l^n    f  '"'"n  '  "  "''"°'  "'  °"""'  >•'"<'"■ 

...0.  oy,  as  the  yeiiow."t  "w  Liirtr,:;  t.t::  xtsn,: 

out  the  blood  set.les  ,n  ,ts  roon,,  and  yield,  the  worst  and  least  oyl.  Before  I 
mi'  ed  f„    if  ul"'"h     f /•":    '""'■'"   "°"°"   '°^°"'"'   "l--.'o\ho  .Jl 

n :.:;  t? :  lvti^::^^  ^ '-  ^^ "«--  ■-- « .»« 

roaches  down  into  the  sh  p  o  o  '  t  Z^M  "  ""I""'"""''  '°  '""'  " 
wooden  funnel  which  they^'ut  upon  c;"!!!;  t'cll  rtCcIll'l: 
and  the  n.cn  that  are  below  in  the  ship  fill  the.  with  it,  .nd'  so  it  is  kept      m 


200  3IARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

they  try  it  up  into  train -oyl.  When  the  fat  is  cut  off  from  one  side  of  the  whale, 
before  they  turn  liim  they  cut  out  the  whalebone  in  one  entire  piece ;  and  this  is 
so  heavy  that  all  the  ship's  crew  hath  enough  to  do  to  pull  it  up.  They  make 
use,  for  that  purpose,  of  a  peculiar  sort  of  hooks,  two  whereof  they  fix  on  the 
sides,  and  one  on  the  middle  of  it,  very  well  provided  with  strong  tackle,  and 
afterwards  they  cut  out  the  whalebone  of  the  other  side  of  the  fish,  and  draw  it 
up  also  witli  pulleys  into  the  ship,  where  it  is  cut  into  such  pieces  as  they  bring 
it  hither  in.  The  whalebone  doth  only  belong  to  the  owners  of  the  ship,  and  the 
others  that  run  their  hazard,  whether  they  catch  few  or  many  whales.  The  rest, 
which  take  their  pay  by  the  month,  receive  their  money  when  they  come  home, 
whether  they  have  caught  many  or  none,  and  the  loss  or  gain  falls  upon  the 
merchants.  The  hooks  that  they  crane  up  the  whalebone  withal,  are  made  on 
purpose  for  it,  like  a  beam  of  a  pair  of  scales ;  on  each  end  are  two  sharp  points, 
which  they  knock  in  between  the  whalebone ;  in  the  middle  of  the  beam  is 
fastened  a  long  handle  with  a  ring,  whereon  the  ropes  are  fastened  ;  on  this  handle 
there  are  fixed  two  other  crooked  hooks  like  bird's  claws ;  in  the  ring  where  the 
ropes  are  fastened  is  another  crooked  hook,  at  the  top  fastened  by  a  ring,  such  a 
one  as  we  make  use  of  here  when  we  wind  anything  up  by  a  crane ;  but  in  the 
middle  between  these  two  hooks  is  fastened  another  rope,  which  keeps  the  lower- 
most hook  steddy ;  the  two  hindmost  points  arc  knocked  into  the  whalebone 
behind,  and  the  two  foremost  short  ones  before,  which  hold  the  whalebone  fast 
between  them  when  it  is  wound  or  pulled  up. 

"The  dead  whales,  when  the  fat  is  cut  off  of  them,  they  let  float,  and  are  the 
food  of  the  birds  of  prey  when  they  are  hungry  ;  but  they  liad  rather  have  dead 
whales  that  have  still  their  fat  left  on  them.  The  white  bear  is  generally  not  far 
off,  whether  there  be  any  fat  left  on  them  or  no,  and  look  like  dogs  that  only 
feed  upon  carrion,  and  at  that  time  their  white  fur  is  turned  into  a  yellow  colour, 
and  at  the  same  time  they  shed  their  hair,  and  their  skins  are  worth  very  little. 
Where  a  dead  whale  is  near,  we  see  it  by  the  birds,  whereof  .u'o  many,  and  also 
the  white  bears  discover  it,  chiefly  in  the  spring,  when  but  few  whales  are  caught, 
for  then  they  are  greedy  of  their  prey ;  afterwards,  when  many  whales  float  on  the 
sea,  they  have  their  bellies  full,  and  we  do  not  find  so  many  by  a  whale,  because 
they  are  dispersed. 

"Formerly  the  Dutch  did  try  out  their  train-oyl  in  Spitzbergen,  at  Smecron- 
berg,  and  about  the  Cookery  of  Harlingbn,  where  still,  for  a  remembrance,  all  sorts 
of  tools  belonging  thereunto  are  to  be  seen,  whereof  I  have  made  mention  before. 
Ihe   Frenchmen   try  up  their  train-oyl   in   their  ships,  and  by  that  means  many 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  201 

ships  are  burnt  at  Spitzbergen  ;  and  this  was  the  occasion  of  the  burning  of  two 
ships  in  my  time.  They  try  out  their  train -oyl  at  Spitzbergen,  that  they  may 
load  the  more  fivt  in  their  ships ;  and  they  believe  it  to  be  very  profitable,  for 
they  go  their  voyage  upon  part,  that  is  to  say,  they  receive  more  or  less,  according 
to  what  they  catch :  but  I  do  not  account  it  wisdom  to  fill  up  the  room  of  the 
ship  with  wood,  where  they  might  stow  vessels.  But  our  countrjTnen,  as  I  told 
you  before,  put  the  fat  into  the  vessels,  wherein  it  doth  ferment  just  like  beer ; 
and  I  know  no  instance  that  ever  any  vessel  did  fly  in  pieces,  although  they  are 
stopt  up  very  close,  and  so  it  becometh  for  the  greatest  part  train -oyl  in  them. 
Of  the  fresh  fat  of  whales,  when  it  is  burnt  out  you  lose  twenty  in  the  hundred, 
more  or  less,  according  as  it  is  in  goodness.  At  the  place  where  they  try  up  the 
fat  into  train -oyl,  near  Hamburg,  they  try  up  the  fat  out  of  the  vessels  into  a 
great  wooden  trough  or  tub,  and  out  of  this  two  men  empty  it  into  a  great  kettle 
that  stands  near  it,  that  doth  hold  two  cardels  of  fat,  that  makes  one  hundred  and 
twenty,  one  hundred  and  thirty,  and  sometimes  one  hundred  and  forty  gallons. 
Underneath  this  copper  that  is  made  up  with  bricks  they  put  the  fire,  and  so  they 
boil  it,  and  try  it  up  into  train -oyl,  as  you  try  up  other  fat.  This  copper  is  very 
well  secured,  as  the  dyers'  coppers  use  to  be ;  it  is  very  broad  and  flat,  just  like 
a  frying-pan  made  of  copper.  When  the  fat  is  well  tryed  or  fryed  out,  they  take 
it  out  of  the  pan  with  small  kettles,  into  a  great  sieve,  that  the  liquid  only  may 
run  through  ;  the  rest  is  thrown  away.  This  sieve  stands  over  a  great  tub,  which 
is  above  half  filled  with  cold  water,  that  the  hot  train -oyl  may  be  cooled,  and 
that  what  is  unclean  and  dirty  of  the  blood  and  other  soil  may  fall  to  the  bottom, 
and  only  the  clear  train -oyl  swim  at  the  top  of  the  water,  like  other  oyl.  In  this 
great  tub  or  trough  is  a  small  spout  or  tap,  which  doth  run  out  over  another  as 
big  as  a  tub,  out  of  which  the  train -oyl  runs  into  another  tub,  when  it  is  almost 
ready  to  run  over,  which  is  also  filled  with  cold  water  to  the  middle,  wherein  it  is 
more  cooled,  and  becomes  clearer,  and  more  refined  than  it  was  before.  In  this 
trough  is  another  spout,  through  which  the  train -oyl  runs  into  the  warehouse  into 
a  vatt,  whoreout  they  fill  it  into  cardels  or  vessels.  Some  have  but  two  tubs. 
A  cardel  or  hogshead  holds  sixty -four  gallons.  A  true  train -oyl  barrel  doth  liold 
thirty -two  gallons.  The  greaves  they  try  up  the  second  time,  and  make  brown 
train-oyl  out  of  it;  others  that  think  it  not  worth  their  while,  fling  them  away." 
Having  submitted  a  brief  sketch  of  primitive  European  whaling  commerce,  de- 
duced from  the  most  reliable  papers  and  publications  accessible  to  us,  we  will  now 
enter  upon  an  account  of  the  American  whale-fishery. 

Mabims  IUhhau.— M 


CHAPTER   II. 
THE    AMEllICAN  WHALE-FISHERY. 

The  American  Whale-fishery  began  as  early  as  1614.  According  to  Captain 
John  Smith,  the  enterprise  was  prosecuted  by  the  colonists  along  the  New  England 
coast  prior  to  that  date,  and  it  was  among  the  first  pursuits  of  the  colonial  inhab- 
itants of  New  York  and  Delaware.*  The  right  of  whale -fishing  "was  guaranteed 
by  the  Royal  Charter  of  1629  to  the  proprietors  of  Massachusetts,  as  being  within 
their  waters."!  Yet,  according  to  Cheever,  "the  first  person  that  is  recorded  to 
have  killed  a  whale,  among  the  people  of  New  England,  was  one  William  Hamil- 
ton, somewhere  between  1660  and  1670;"  J  and  as  early  as  1700  they  began  to 
fit  out  vessels  from  Cape  Cod  and  Nantucket,  to  "whale  out"  in  the  deep  sea  for 
sperm  whales.  These  treasures  of  the  ocean  were  of  great  value  to  the  early  settlers, 
both  commercially  and  in  a  domestic  point  of  view.  One  John  Iligginson,  of  Cape 
Cod,  writes:  "We  have  a  considerable  quantity  of  whale-oil  and  bone  for  exporta- 
tion." Even  in  those  primitive  times,  among  the  few  inhabitants  of  the  coast  who 
were  engaged  in  the  exciting  adventure,  it  was  not  without  its  strifes,  for,  in  1692, 
Mr.  Higginson,  one  of  the  spiritual  advisers  of  those  days,  and  Timothy  Lindall, 
wrote  to  Nathaniel  Thomas :  § 

"Sir,  we  have  been  jointly  concerned  in  seuerall  whale  voyages  at  Cape  Cod, 
and  have  sustained  greate  wrong  and  injury  by  the  unjust  dealing  of  the  inhabitants 
of  those  parts,  especially  in  two  instances ;  y*  first  was  when  Woodbury  and  com- 
pany, in  our  boates,  in  the  winter  of  1690,  killed  a  large  whale  in  Cape  Cod  harbour. 
She  sank,  and  after  rose,  went  to  sea  with  a  harpoon,  warp,  etc.,  of  ours,  which  have 
been  found  in  the  hands  of  Nicholas  Eldridge.  The  second  case  is  this :  Last 
winter,  1091,  William  Edds  and  company,  in  one  of  our  boates,  struck  a  whale, 
which  came  ashore  dead,  and  by  y«  evidence  of  the  people  of  Cape  Cod  was  the 
very  whale  they  killed.  The  whale  was  taken  away  by  Thomas  Smith,  of  Eastham, 
and  unjustly  detained." 

*Amuils  of  Salem,  vol.  ii,  p.  223.  XWhale  and  his  Captorg,  p.  23. 

fVide  Annals  of  Salem,  vol.  ii,  p.  223.  %Annala  of  Salem,  vol.  ii,  p.  228. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  203 

These  remarks  show  that  shore -whaling  was  pursued  at  the  Cape  previous  to 
1690.  About  1748,  the  whales,  having  been  driven  from  the  contiguous  shores, 
were  pursued  farther  seaward  in  sloops  and  schooners  of  fifty  tons,  each  of  which 
had  a  company  of  thirteen  men,  and  lowered  two  boats  in  the  chase.  In  1765,  the 
whale-fishery  from  Boston  and  adjacent  ports  amounted  to  one  hundred  small 
vessels,*  vhich  cruised  as  far  to  the  northward  and  eastward  as  the  Straits  of  Belle 
Isle,  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  to  the  Western  Islands.  But  at  the  island  of 
Nantucket,  or  among  the  Nantucket  men,  originated  the  grand  whaling  enterprise 
which  has  reached  every  accessible  point  around  the  world,  f  The  colonists  who 
had  come  hither  to  settle  were,  like  all  other  New  Englanders  of  their  time,  made 
up  of  those  characteristic  spirits,  who  believed  in  God,  and  maintained  the  right 
of  worshiping  Him  according  tc  the  dictates  of  their  own  convictions.  Moreover, 
they  were  inured  to  frugal  habits,  but  were  alive  to  industry  and  adventure.  Their 
first  whaling  from  the  island  was  in  boats  from  the  shores,  which  occurred  as 
early  as  1690.  J  A  tall  spar  was  erected,  upon  which  the  whalemen  in  turn 
ascended  to  watch,  for  whales.  As  soon  as  the  spout  of  the  animal  was  seen  in 
the  distance,  the  signal  was  given,  when  immediately  the  boats  were  manned, 
launched  through  the  surf,  and  with  sturdy  stroke  they  plied  their  rudely  fashioned 
oars,  and  away  flew  the  primitive  whaling  squadron,  which  was  soon  invisible  from 
the  island  hamlet.  The  capture  being  made,  the  prize  was  towed  to  the  beach  and 
stripped  of  its  blubber,  which  was  transported  in  carts  to  the  try -houses,  where 
the  oil  was  extracted  and  put  into  casks  ready  for  market.  The  shore -whaling 
continued  for  over  fifty  years,  but  eventually  it  was  abandoned,  for  the  same  reason 
that  the  Spitzbergen  and  Smeerenberg  fisheries  were — the  scarcity  of  whales  near 

*Annah  of  Salem,  vol.  ii,  p.  225.  navigation,  which  they  have  an   opportunity  of 

fj.  Hector  St.  John,  who  published  a  book  practicing  on  the   spot.     They  learn  the   great 

in  1793,  entitled  Letters  from  an  American  Farmer,  and  useful  art  of  working  a  shij}  in  all  the  dif- 

gives  many  interesting  facts  concerning  the  Nan-  ferent  situations  which  the  sea  and  wind  so  oft- 

tucket  people  and  the  whale-fishery  of  the  pe-  en  require;  and  surely  there  can  not  bo  a  better 

riod,  from  which  we  extract  a  few  paragraphs,  or  a  more   useful   school  of   that   kind   in   the 

Belative  to  the  children,  he  says :  world.    Then   they  go  gradually  through  every 

"At  school  they  learn  to  read,  and  to  write  station  of   rowers,   steersmen,   and   harpooners; 

a  good  hand,  until  they  are  twelve  years  old;  thus  they  learn   to  attack,  to  pursue,  to  over- 

they  are  then  in  general  put  apprentices  to  the  take,   to   cut,   to  dress   their  huge  game  :    and 

cooper's    trade,  which    is    the    second    essential  after    having    performed    several    such   voyages, 

branch  of  business  followed  here;  at  fourteen,  and  perfected  themselves  in  this  business,  they 

they   are   sent   to   sea,    where    in    their   leisure  are  fit  either  for  the  counting-house  or  chase." 

hours  their  companions  teach  them  thb  art  of  X  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine,  vol.  iii,  p.  364. 


company,  except  the  captain,  were  Indiana;  and  the  "Xattick"  language  was,  in  a 
great  measure,  adopted  on  board.f  With  these  vessels,  thus  manned,  and  with  the 
addition  of  an  occasi-mal  representative  of  the  African  race,  the  fishery  was  success- 
fully pursued  up  to  174G,J  wh'?n  larger  ones,  schooners  and  brigs,  from  one  hun- 
dred to  one  hundred  and  thirty  tons,  were  employed.  These  more  capacious  whaling 
craft  stretched  across  the  Atlantic,  in  their  voyages,  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  traversed 
the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  contended  with  the  ice  of  Baffin's  and  Hudson's 
bays,  in  search  of  their  mammoth  prey,  and  in  open  seasons  reached  the  latitude 
of  8P. 

According  to  Ricketson's  History  of  New  Bedford,  the  founder  of  that  city, 
Joseph  Russell,  Esq.,  was  the  first  to  engage  in  the  whale-fishery  at  that  point, 
which  dates  back  to  1755.  In  1765,  he,  with  others,  employed  in  the  enterprise 
the  sloops  Nancy,  Polly,  Greyhound,  and  Ilannah,  each  of  which  was  about  fifty  tons 
burden.  Their  cruises  were  extended  during  the  milder  months  of  the  year  as  far 
south  as  the  "Capes  of  Virginia."  In  these  primitive  voyages,  the  oil  was  not 
extracted  from  the  blubber  until  the  vessel's  return,  when  the  hoy -like  craft  was 
hauled   broadside  upon   the  shore,  and  an   ox -cart  was  the  means  of  transporting 


^Pitkins  mentions  that  the  American  whal- 
ing-fleet,  in  1731,  amounteu  to  thirteen  hundred 
tons.  —  Piikina  on  Commerce,  p.  43. 

fit  has  been  stated  by  sereral  'writers  that 
the  American  colonists  followed  up  the  Indian 
mode  ot  capturing  the  whale,  by  first  striking 
it  with  a  harpoon  having  a  log  of  wood  attached 
to  it  by  a  line,  even  as  late  as  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Sperm  Whale  fishery.  It  is  quoted 
that  the  Hon.  Paul  Dudley  stated:  "Our  peo- 
ple formerly  used  to  kill  the  whale  near  the 
shore,  but  now  they  go  o£f  to  sea  in  sloops  and 
whale •hoaU.  Sometimes  the  whale  is  killed  by 
a  single  stroke,  and  yet  at  other  times  she  will 
hold  the  whalemen  in  play  near  half  a  day  to- 
gether, with  their  lances;  and  sometimes  they 
will  get  away  after  they  have  been  lanced  and 


spouted  thick  blood,  with  irons  in  them,  and 
drags  ("droges")  fastened  to  them,  which  are 
thick  boards  about  fourteen  inches  square."  It 
was  considered  presumption  to  attempt  to  capt- 
ure the  huge  creatures  "in  small  boats,  and  by 
the  aid  of  lines,  from  the  end  of  which  was 
attached  the  harpoon,  by  which  they  could  draw 
themselves  to  the  harpooned  whale  whenever 
they  wished  to  destroy  it  with  the  lance."  We 
ore  of  the  opinion,  however,  that  the  colonial 
whalers  did  not  follow  the  Indian  mode  of 
whale  -  fishing ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  the 
British  whalers,  as  early  as  1670,  used  the  line 
attached  to  the  boat,  and,  bo  far  as  the  drags 
or  "droges"  are  concerned,  they  are  used  at 
the  present  day  in  cases  of  emergency. 

XSurU'a  Merchants  Magaiine,  vol.  iii,  p.  866. 


'!"'■  '^ 


m-*^' 


HE    AMERK    ly     \ni A!.  K .FISHERY. 


205 


tJxi  riH'kin  'j  r.-Hu  tho  Vfsscl  to  Uu'  "  try-l  >ust'^,"  Tlii.-^  w.is  'he  cisK/rn  with 
ali  tlio  »i-!jii;-,.    »?'  till  so  tiniivi/"  * 

Afi»-"      '    'I.   oiht'r  vrs,st'l.-<  ot  itirgc.-  tcTiiiii^t,!  \V(  ro  jul  !<  tl    t'    tiiu  \v!ial;n;j:  squad 

•  •  .ri  r  <■■.•.  ..xcu'ioil  llK'ir  V'iy5k!/t>i».  like  Uu;  N'»utiii'koi  ■  ui -n,  uci-os>s  the  Atlantic. 
.V  -  '  -  •-  ■■  .  w  re  i!n;  ^'ovv  Ui.:dr«*r<l  lags  Pa'tiue  ar«'^  A'«  /^</(/  w  j/'-a.  fn  Sei)toiii!)oi-, 
<v'  .i',:!  RKfmo.t,  KWiwA  h\  !iji  V  v.'tfniu  uioi!  lian(>  .7  v-(>[ili  linsm-Ii  v  f^'/iis  mid 
'        1  M.\'klaii(:l  \vti!i  nnK.n^   vhi'    ii'-j>r.,  li'  v.<'i    ilic  lir-i,  nf  Arii.'jit.in  whulors  wludi 

.'P  ib.rn  iiiui  (ibtaincl  :,  full   .•nrg.i  m   li.o  Viu-i:;.-      Th';  .;:ii  ■.rurlt.-r  4uitv. 
^ !!   liii'  lu'hvxn  was  only   tin.-  iiiui'lri'il  smd   S'„n'vii'v-fiv'.'  tv.".-!.  slu;   ,\as    ;oi  ,sill- 
'"  fv   l.irg     \x'.^«.'l,  aiil   'MIS  \!Sit('il  a-  .m  I'bjoi  I  ul'  v-dider/'     Tim.-   L)i-j;.im   liio 
>    r  :■  I   "i.t.M  ..;.(.    .a    \.-\v    Ik-i  inl  -    0!,ixs  t 'i.!  f':    n    \-:i,-;  fii-l    snnied,  B''i'',,ril  - -• 
■1   h.is  .■<i..,;i    '  •.•■.•i>i;i'\  pn-i   .-t'ii     ■■',  til..'  wi'ulin!:    HMi'i-o^  ,-,!,, ^    ,('  t!;i    •vcrld.      'k't^vecr. 
•  ■    , '■»'^     *'■''    -"'vl     '.7.  ',   Mit«s,v  ii;!«,.tt'!  i'.lt'Mi,'  v'l.ijil.M'.i    nmnii.il;     in    lii.'   riTtli.  :t, 
■''■''     •^»- ,;  i  .   •■•;.     l-uii'lrc-;    S'Vs    •  .■;;lvty- Uitoc    v.sM'ts.    irHina-iSij^    ihirtmii    'tirii-i,ind 
•      ■:. tit  V   .-,;».■,<■ ,    ♦•«"•■■;>■'.»':':     .iti'l    :.))i,''    Jliind'"i.'d    (U  .1    twdity-t.n.        i.'SS'-ls,    ui'l      ):• 
i^.    -,^.i        l?iit««  -^^     A    r  ur'v-ri;    th.,-y;;i^    ,..vt    f^^f,i!•     ^.^^    'Vrr,'   fni:.;.    ^d    v)    in.-    •    .u     •- 
,'»      'i /v  'T,  \*   il,;»l    \.;.i    '     j   ..V    ;^»     iS.^V:  '    .',.      ^f'li-'ii.'s*,  x)     ,.       V  ,'  S     >-'"-';.;('*,    nv     W^'Sl     .(»    V    J.  s ' 

wW!Q^-i>r..rP  o?    ?r<,U    1-4.,    A  J., I,  .    1,      (..■r;i!  >.t5    Vt  'k-^    :^^,i;  v         ;  -  »w  »\  iL..    . 'ti:'t   »vl     i>.    -•■y,    , 

fro;,    liic  c^li:!!'i.;tt'a  iiiu.i.ui-,-  (a   .ViJijiii;    H    'l\  ujs.  i,;,.     ■<    ►■  t  .     .,,,■     hu.j:...!   r,,       ^,^1    ..; 

Th':    i.>i;uor    r-f    tbf     ,^.i..-;,    .■       -..    Jl,  'r,„  I   .1..  ,.  .,;    ^ll!      ,-.    .,    i;,-   :    r!, £>,..-    ^.■,...,  .,..1     =i'l        .a 

6<.T!t<..-«    11  in   hiH   Wi.'k,  fro..    v,1u.;!t   wi-   (.xt..ai  .  wtuoli       ,    *i.i^!. -i;^t    .■    ti-:i.,i.»|..),-li.'!   iii  ,n<,;.     to 

•t.'    ■■■Ui).>-in{j',    •\  iu,u  \\.<..  H\.ix».  li<  -  W'i..fii  in..r  tli-  t:>.tt;.rto.       •  Jfoi-e  (h.ii'.[,i.ukii..s  ■iiui  i,.  ;ij(i' 

■  *•-    ■■»'    .-(n  .'      nc    ,ff   t.iu'   ,.«.,iill     mi«*:U  lb  i,  ,  .u-  .l,..    )  .  l\wl<!ur,  ftUia'W.   oin;    rnitn    in    n    n.l      hiit, 

M.       »    C.j    «'y\:^xs      '■•■    n\>-'<^\>i    y:{    ■  .-.kfi.  ft  'v;t  ,  :t  v.Mc)i  ..,i   l)„    iTi'asi.   |io.iriii,    -il  t)..n    t 

'4ft'  .,      '■;  .««•»{  *  ..    vBr-r     '  'Jr*.    .  '    .^.,.*     -.'-lii-  l^;;;/- baJ.Ul^'vt  ilijir,,.)-  uil.-'  (I  Nfdmli.u-lux.iM.d  Imi  ■ 

*■'"' "^'-        '/    ■>-      .' i      •    '^:      .'     ^      '^.       -^iT-  ,>l      HI,   cl."i    i.un.ili).^    ..V3<    ti).     hlnl^i.v  i  ;    ,ukI 

•  *        '"*■*'■"'■''     ■    •'■"       '•■"      -'  ■      '■■  ■■      >'        HU;;     }'      -V      !'(TU.'.!<HU:,    >•    bur    I  .(ikiii^     f-i..    .      ih 

•4  Inwpu.-  ;.vm  tU.    .  *::: -V*..,,,       \-      ci,         fUi,:      ..j^„     K.U,    luM    l.a«*'t,.  a.hl  1,  •....:<ui«  for 

>--  .    J*efully  ou.'tff.t..i.  •;,  ^-'h    ,  -,  -        I',,;.,.       siiK     ,i    ^-.iit^r    Ih  h.^j-tI   .ip,>i,    .    -•■ku;    iiVi^t. 

.-^il   (inVl    tt  V  ,'.■         ■  i4=      •^;     M       •    v,„.  V.         F,;,f;,l.,(    I..  ,    M.   itl'd     iip,.:;     t.K-    (l.  „l;uf    H     iriMcl- 

J.(,  I*.' ivnil  Nu'M,..-,.  .11  (■»♦•    i  >-.As  .,  v'.rt'-.       «t,.j„,,    r.„l    C'viji!.:   (lir.rtu))is    'n  I.  colu'vl    unn, 

(V,,*     -;,,.-<;    Jij3rH,fVA4    Mj„i    ..,„V!  ,.,,.,.  ,      .,,      ,,„^         ^1    ,    .„     l,.,|^li„^,    ;,i^    „1,-,H  it's    hoi-SO   l.y  ihl-    i.Yuik. 

f!»-   :  V  < -*t  tr»'«-  .IV     Mf'n  rtf«,  wti    !*.«    I   7i>^  is  WM),  ■„  lus  l.i-.-.ft.M.ntiim.'.)  Imt  au\  lvi-..,llv 

U.  'I-    *..,!>»  «ljg#      fn   tlio  f. '»^'.      .»i    .      Uf.  ocftf.  '<?-•  louiKb"  n'  N.nv  jte.lfortl  and  fiitjict  ,•{ 

M^>.  <v     A.!  ltt.,t  *t.i/,;.  »'UMh-  »      n-v..    B»   .rW  luT  nU,i!^?-'WK'r-,  .Tos.vli  KmsmU." 
.  r'  «t    .,  ,:^w,      rt  .vj,  „/  the  «\.^  j4  '  vsfflt.^  t  f/i^iiiti/  .  ••  ?»/;,^'  li.  tf-r,i.  ;>  ;>;), 


^■I^" 


'is**-     *■ 


-?■ 


^ 


"X 


v'i.' 


't 


.       i' 


'C 


)A 


I      ^■ 


'H'^-i^K-iih,.^. 


lit    ■  ,^' 


f 


1  ■  —-- ^''^■'^- 


r  V  •' 


-■i5» 


'& 


f 


.;.■*" 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


205 


the  reeking  fat  from  the  vessel  to  the  "  try  -  houses."     This  was  the  custom  with 
all  the  whalers  of  those  times.* 

About  1770,  other  vessels  of  larger  tonnage  were  added  to  the  whaling  squad- 
ron,! which  extended  their  voyages,  like  the  Nantucket -men,  across  the  Atlantic. 
Among  them  were  the  Xew  Bedford  Lrigs  Patience  and  N'o  Duty  on  Tea.  In  September, 
1791,  the  ship  Rebecca,  owned  by  those  veteran  merchants,  Joseph  Rassell  &  Sons  and 
Cornelius  Ilowland,  was  among  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  of  American  whalers  which 
doubled  Cape  Horn  and  obtained  a  full  cargo  in  the  Pacific.  The  chronicler  states: 
"Although  iha  Rebecca  was  only  one  hundred  and  seventy -five  tons,  she  was  consid- 
ered a  very  large  vesse',  and  was  visited  as  an  object  of  wonder."  Tlius  began  the 
commercial  enterprise  at  New  Bedford — or,  as  the  town  was  first  named,  Bedford  — 
which  has  since  become,  and  still  is,  the  whaling  metropolis  of  the  world.  Between 
the  years  1771  and  1775,  Massachusetts  alone  employed  annually,  in  the  northern 
whale-fishery,  one  hundred  and  eighty- three  vessels,  tonnaging  thirteen  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty  tons ;  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  -  one  vessels,  with  an 
aggregate  burden  of  fourteen  thousand  rwA  twenty  tons,  were  engfged  in  the  south- 
ern fishery,!  'i^d  many  places  along  the  sea- board  of  New  England,  as  well  as  towns 


*  The  plato  facing  this  page,  representing  a 
whaling-scene  of  1763,  was  copied  by  permissiou 
from  the  celebrated  painting  by  William  H.  Wall. 
The  author  of  the  Historij  of  New  Bedford  de- 
scribes it  in  his  work,  from  which  wo  extract 
the  following:  "Upon  the  shore  lies  keeled  over 
on  her  side  one  of  the  small  vessels  then  em- 
ployed for  whaling;  the  model  of  the  craft,  a 
sloop,  indicates  a  primitive  idea  of  naval  archi- 
tecture. By  t.»>o  side  of  this  sloop,  but  other- 
wise concealed  from  view,  is  seen  the  sail  of 
another  vessel,  with  the  union-jack  of  old  En- 
gland drooping  from  the  mast-head.  The  river 
lies  peacefully  outstretched,  with  a  view  of  P»\lm- 
er's  Island  and  the  shore  along  by  the  'Smok- 
ing Bocks,'  and  Naushon  in  the  distance.  Where 
now  fif^nd  our  wharves  and  warehouses,  the  pri- 
meval forest  trees  are  seen  extending  their  roots 
to  the  water's  edge.  In  the  foreground  of  the 
picture,  and  that  which  will  l>e  to  most  its  chief 
interest,  is  seen  a  group  of  the  early  inhabitants 
of  New  Bedford,  busily  employed.  Under  an 
old   shed  is   seen  the  try -pot,  with  its  attend- 


ants ;  and  also  the  jaw  of  a  whale  thrown  upon 
the  roof;"  and  between  the  she  I  and  the  sloop 
may  be  seen  the  ox -teams,  hitched  to  a  sort  of 
sled  (in  lieu  of  the  ordinary  wheeled  cart),  on 
which  the  whale -fat  is  transported  in  casks  to 
the  trj'- works.  "More  conspicuous,  and  nearer 
the  beholder,  stands  one  man  in  a  red  shirt 
with  a  patch  on  the  breast,  pouring  oil  from  a 
long -handled  dipper  into  a  wooden -hooped  bar- 
rel ;  another  handling  over  the  blubber ;  und 
still  more  prominent,  a  fine -looking  fellow  is 
coopering  a  barrel,  in  conference  with  an  In- 
dian, who,  with  his  baskets  and  moccasins  for 
sale  or  barter,  is  seated  upon  a  broken  mast. 
Farther  on,  seated  upon  the  frame  of  a  grind- 
stone, and  giving  directions  to  a  colored  man, 
who  is  holding  his  master's  horse  by  the  bridle, 
is  seen,  in  his  broad -brimmed  hat  and  Friendly 
coat,  the  founder  of  New  Bedford  and  father  of 
her  whale-fishery,  Joseph  Russell." 

f  History  of  New  Bedford,  p.  59. 

JSeo  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine,  vol.  iii,  p. 
36G. 


206 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


farther  north  and  south,  became  whaling -ports.  The  subjoined  table  gives  the 
number  of  American  vessels  annually  engaged  in  the  enterprise,  with  the  amount 
and  value  of  oil  taken  each  year  from  1762  to  1770,  inclusive: 


Year. 

No.  Vessels. 

No.  of  Barrels. 

Value  of  Imports. 

1702. 

78 

9,440 

$102,618  40 

1763.* 

60 

9,238 

100,324  68 

1764. 

72 

11,983 

131,135  38 

1765. 

101 

11,512 

125,020  32 

1766. 

118 

11,969 

129,983  24 

17G7. 

108 

16,561 

179,852  40 

17G8. 

125 

15,439 

107,667  54 

1769. 

119 

19,140 

462,996  60 

1770. 

125 

14,331 

346,666  89 

906 

119,013 

$1,746,165  51 

About  1774,t  the  fleet  was  augmented  by  st'U  larger  vessels, J  some  of  which 
crossed  the  equator,  and  obtained  full  cargoes  upon  that  noted  ground  called  the 
"Brazil  Banks,"  while  others  cruised  around  Cape  Verde  Islands  or  the  West  Indies, 


*  Scoresby,  in  his  account  of  the  Whale- Fish- 
ery of  the  British  Colonies  in  America,  states  that 
there  were  eighty  vessels  employed  in  the  Amer- 
ican fisheries  during  the  year  1763. 

t  Histoi  <j  of  Nantucket,  p.  233. 

J  St.  John,  in  his  Letters,  published  in  1793, 
which  have  previously  been  referred  to,  thus  de- 
scribes the  mode  of  whale -fishing  at  that  time: 

"The  first  proprietors  of  Nantucket,  or  rath- 
er the  first  founders  of  this  town,  began  their 
career  of  industry  with  a  single  whale-boat,  with 
which  they  went  to  fish  fc  cod ;  the  small  dis- 
tance from  their  shores  at  which  they  caught  it, 
enabled  them  soon  to  increase  their  business, 
and  those  early  successes  first  led  them  to  con- 
ceive that  they  might  likewiuo  catch  the  whales, 
which  hitherto  sporied  undisturbed  upon  their 
banks.  After  many  trials  and  several  miscar- 
riages, they  succeeded :  thus  thoy  proceeded, 
step  by  step ;  the  profits  of  one  successful  en- 


terprise helped  them  to  purchase  and  prepare 
better  materials  for  a  more  extensive  one :  aa 
these  were  attended  with  little  costs,  their  prof- 
its grew  greater. 

"The  south  sides  of  the  island,  from  east  to 
west,  were  divided  into  four  equal  parts;  and 
each  part  was  assigned  to  a  company  of  six, 
which,  though  thus  separa  .J,  still  carried  on 
their  business  in  common.  In  the  middle  of 
this  distance  they  erected  a  mast,  provided  with 
a  su£Scient  number  of  rounds,  and  near  it  they 
built  a  temporal^  hut,  where  five  of  the  asso- 
ciates lived,  whilst  the  sixth,  from  his  high  sta- 
tion, carefully  looked  toward  the  sea,  in  order 
to  observe  the  spouting  of  the  whales.  As  soon 
as  any  were  discovered,  the  sentinel  descended, 
the  whale-boat  was  launched,  and  the  company 
went  forth  in  quest  of  their  game. 

"It  may  appear  strange  to  you  that  a  vessel 
so  slender  as  an  American  whale-boat,  coutoiniug 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


%m 


in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  Caribbean  Sea,  or  upon  the  coast  of  the  Spanish  Main. 
Soon  after,  they  extended  their  voyages  to  the  South  Atlantic,  around  the  Falkland 
Islands,  and  to  the  coast  of  Palagonia,  where  Fur  Seal  skins  and  Sea  Elephant  oil 
were  sometimes  obtained.  In  such  instances  these  whaling  and  sealing  expeditions 
were  called  "mixed  vo3'age8."     "Between  the  years   1770  and   1776,"  according  to 


BIX  diminutive  beings,  should  dare  to  pursue  and 
to  attack,  in  its  native  element,  the  largest  and 
strongest  fish  that  Nature  has  created.  Yet  by 
the  exertion  of  an  admirable  dexterity,  improved 
by  a  long  prantica,  iu  which  these  people  are 
become  superior  to  any  other  whalemen;  by 
knowing  the  temper  of  the  whale  after  her  first 
movement,  and  by  many  other  useful  observa- 
tions, they  seldom  fail  to  harpoon  it,  and  to 
bring  the  huge  leviathan  on  the  shores.  Thus 
they  went  on,  until  the  profits  they  made  ena- 
bled them  to  purchase  larger  vessels,  and  to  pur- 
sue them  farther,  when  the  whales  quitted  their 
coasts.  *  *  By  degrees  they  went  a -whaling 
to  Newfoundland,  to  the  Gulph  of  St.  Lau- 
rence, to  the  Straits  of  Belleisle,  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  Davii's  Straits,  even  to  Capo  Desola- 
tion, in  70°  of  latitude  ;  where  the  Danes  carry 
on  some  fisheries,  in  spite  of  the  perpetual  sever- 
ities of  that  inhospitable  climate.  ♦  *  Would 
you  believe  that  they  have  already  gone  to  the 
Falkland  Islands,  and  that  I  have  heard  several 
of  them  talk  of  going  to  the  South  Sea!  Their 
confidence  is  so  great,  and  their  knowledge  of 
this  branch  of  business  so  superior  to  that  of 
any  other  perple,  that  they  have  acquired  a 
monopoly  of  this  commodity. 

"Such  were  their  feeble  beginnings,  such  the 
infancy  and  progress  of  their  maritime  schemes  ; 
such  is  now  the  degree  oi  boldness  and  activity 
to  which  they  are  orrived  in  their  manhood. 
After  their  examples  several  companies  have 
been  formed  in  many  of  our  capitals,  where 
every  necessaiy  article  of  provisions,  implements, 
and  timber,  are  to  bo  found.  Dut  the  industry 
exerted  by  the  people  of  Nantucket  hath  hither- 
to enabled  them  to  rival  all  their  competitors; 


consequently  this  is  the  greatest  mart  for  oil, 
whalebone,  and  spermaceti  on  the  continent. 

"The  vessels  most  proper  for  whale -fishing 
are  brigs  of  about  one  hundrca  and  fifty  tons 
burden,  particularly  when  they  are  intended  for 
distant  latitudes;  they  always  man  them  with 
thirteen  hands,  in  order  that  they  may  row  two 
whale-boats;  the  crews  of  which  must  necessa- 
rily consist  of  six,  four  at  the  oars,  one  stand- 
ing on  the  bows  with  the  harpoon,  and  the 
other  at  the  helm.  It  is  also  necessary  that 
there  should  be  two  of  these  boats,  that  if  one 
should  be  destroyed  in  attacking  the  whale,  the 
other,  which  is  never  engaged  at  the  same  time, 
moy  bo  ready  to  save  the  hands.  Five  of  the 
thirteen  are  always  Indians;  the  last  of  the 
complement  remains  on  board  to  steer  the  ves- 
sel during  the  action. 

'  As  soon  as  they  arrive  iu  those  latitudes 
where  they  expect  to  meet  with  whales,  a  man 
is  sent  up  to  the  mast-head;  if  he  sees  one, 
he  immediately  cries  out,  'Awaite  paicana'  (here 
is  a  whale);  they  all  remain  still  and  silent 
until  he  repeats  ' Pawana'  (a  whale),  when  in 
less  than  six  minutes  the  two  boats  are  launched, 
filled  witli  every  implement  necessary  for  the 
attack.  They  row  toward  the  whale  with  aston- 
ishing velocity ;  and  as  the  Indians  early  became 
their  fellow -laborers  in  this  new  warfare,  you 
can  easily  conceive  how  the  Nattick  expressions 
became  familiar  on  board  the  whale-boats.  For- 
merly it  often  happened  that  whale -vessels  were 
manned  with  none  but  Indians  and  the  master; 
recollect  also  that  the  Nantucket  people  under- 
stand the  Nattick,  and  that  there  are  always 
five  of  these  people  on  board. 

"There  are  various  ways  of  approaching  the 


208 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF   THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


Macy's  History  of  Nantucket,  "the  whaling  business  increased  to  an  extent  hitherto 
unparalleled.  In  1770  there  were  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  vessels  engaged, 
and  in  1775  the  number  exceeded  one  hundred  and  fifty,  some  of  them  large 
brigs."  The  following  table  briefly  exhibits  the  state  of  the  fishery  from  1771  to 
1775  (showing  the  annual  average),  which  at  that  period  was  prosecuted  chiefly 
from  Massachusetts,  although  Sag  Harbor  had  three  sloops  cruising  for  whales  in 
high  northern  latitudes  as  early  as  17G0:* 


Porta  from  which  tho  cquipuionta 
wore  made. 

Northern 
FiHhfry, 
vt'Bseli. 

Tonniigt. 

Stiuthem 
Fitihenr, 
TesaeU. 

TonDftge. 

Sp^men 
employed. 

Barrels  of 

Bpcrm  OU 

Uken. 

BnrrelB  of 

Wll»le  OU 

taken. 

Nantucket 

65 
20 
60 

1 
12 

2 
15 

4 

4 

4,875 

1,600 

4,600 

75 

720 

150 

1,300 

300 

300 

85 

10 
20 

1 

5 

10,200 

1,000 

2,000 

120 

700 

2,025 

420 

1,040 

28 

156 

26 

260 

52 

52 

26,000 

2,250 

7,200 

200 

900 

240 

1,800 

400 

400 

4,000 

2,250 

1,400 

100 

300 

600 

Wellfleet 

Dartmouth 

Lynn 

Martha's  Vineyard 

Barnstable 

Boston 

Falmouth,  Barnstable  Co. 
Swanzey 

Total 

183 

13,820 

121 

14,020 

4,050 

30,390 

8,650 

The  first  voyage  made  across  tho  equinoctial  line  into  the  South  Atlantic  was 
by  tho  brig  Aj7uizon,  of  Nantucket,  under  the  command  of  Uriah  Bunker,  who 
returned  with  a  "full  ship"  April  19th,  1775.t 


whales,  according  to  their  peculiar  species;  and 
this  previous  knowledge  is  of  the  utmost  conse- 
quence. When  these  boats  are  arrived  at  a 
reasonable  distance,  one  of  them  rests  on  its 
oars,  and  stands  off,  as  a  witness  of  the  ap- 
proaching engagement;  near  the  bows  of  the 
other  tho  harpooner  stands  up,  and  on  him 
principally  depends  the  success  of  the  enter- 
prise. He  wears  a  jacket  closely  buttoned,  and 
round  bis  head  a  handkerchief  tightly  bound; 
in  his  hands  ho  holds  the  dreadful  weapon, 
made  of  the  beat  steel,  marked  sometimes  with 
tho  name  of  their  town,  and  sometimes  with 
that  of  their  veBsel ;  to  the  shaft  of  which  the 

*  Thompson's  History  of  Long  Hand,  vol.  i, 


end  of  a  cord  of  due  strength,  coiled  up  with 
the  utmost  care  in  tho  middle  of  the  boat,  is 
firmly  tied;  tho  other  end  is  fastened  to  the 
bottom  of  the  boat.  Tlius  prepared,  they  row 
in  profound  silence,  leaving  tho  whole  conduct 
of  tho  enterprise  to  tho  harpooner  and  to  the 
steersman,  attentively  following  their  directions. 
When  the  former  judges  himself  to  be  near 
enough  to  the  whale,  that  is,  at  tho  distance 
of  about  fifteen  feet,  he  bids  them  stop ;  per- 
haps she  has  a  calf,  whose  safety  attracts  all 
the  attention  of  tho  dam,  which  is  a  favorable 
circumstance ;  perhaps  she  is  of  a  dangerous 
species,  and  it  is  safest  to  retire,  though  their 

p.  349.  fSanford's  LeUera. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


200 


The  breaking- out  of  the  Revolutionary  War  paralyzed  the  whaling  commerce, 
which  nearly  proved  ruinous  to  all  those  who  were  embarked  in  it.  Nrntucket,  at 
that  time,  had  one  hundred  and  fifty  vessels.  But  on  the  return  of  peace  it  was 
resumed,  and  but  few  years  elapsed  before  it  was  again  pursued  with  great  vigor. 
The  first  whale -ship  that  ventured  into  the  Pacific  was  sent  by  the  Nantucket 
colony  of  whaling -men  from  England,  in  1787,*  and  the  first  officer  of  the  vessel, 
Archclus  Hammond,  struck  the  first  Sperm  Whale  known  to  have  been  captured  in 
that  ocean. 

In  the  year  1789,  a  gentleman  from  Cape  Cod,  who  had  returned  from  service 
in  the  East  India  Company,  having  seen  Sperm  Whales  near  Madagascar,  communi- 
cated the  fact  to  some  of  the  Nantucket  whalemen,  who,  profiting  by  the  knowl- 
edge, in  due  time  dispatched  ships  to  that  coast,  which  proved  to  be  a  rich  whaling- 
ground.  From  1787  to  1789,  inclusive,  the  American  Whale-fishery  was  prosecuted 
from  the  ports,  and  to  the  extent  set  forth  in  the  following  statement  if 


Ports  from  which  tho  equipments 
were  made. 

Northern 
FiBhery, 

TCBKla. 

Tonnage. 

Bouthem 
FiBhery, 
vesnela. 

Tonnage. 

Rpftmen 
employed. 

Barrels  of 

Sperm  Oil 

taken. 

Barrela  of 

Whale  oa 

taken. 

Nantucket; 

18 

12 

45 

1 
2 
G 

7 

1,350 

720 
2,700 

GO 
120 
450 
420 

18 

4 
.5 
2 

1 

1 

2,700 

400 
750 
350 

100 

90 

487 

212 
C50 
28 
13 
39 
78 
104 

3,800 

2,700 

100 
220 
300 
800 

8,2G0 

1,920 
1,750 
1,200 

Wellfleet;,  and  other  ports 
at  Cane  Cod 

Dartmouth  and  N.  Bedford 
Cane  Ann 

Plymouth 

Martba'a  Vineyard 

Boston 

Dorchester  and  Wareham. . 

Total 

91 

5,820 

31 

4,390 

1,G11 

7,980 

13,130 

In   1791, t  six  whale-ships  wore  fitted   out  at  Nantucket  for  "ihe  Pacific — the 
first   that  ever    sailed    from   the   United    States   for   those   distant   grounds.      Their 


ardor  will  seldom  permit  them;  perhaps  she  is 
asleep ;  in  that  case  ho  balances  high  tho  har- 
poon, tiying  in  this  important  moment  to  collect 
all  the  energy  of  which  ho  is  capablo.  Ho 
launches  it  forth — she  is  struck:  from  her  first 

*  Proceedings   American   Antiquarian    Society, 
No.  57,  p.  28-29. 

MaaiNi  Mammals. -17. 


movement,  they  judge  of  her  temper,  as  well  as 
of  their  futuve  success.  Sometimes,  in  tho  im- 
mediate impulse  of  rage,  she  will  attack  the 
boat,  and  demolish  it  with  one  stroke  of  her 
tail;  in  an  instant  the  frail  vehicle  disappears, 

t  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine,  vol.  iii,  p.  370. 
{  Proc.  American  Antiquarian  Society,  p.  29. 


210  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTU-WESTERN    COAST. 

names  wore  the  Beaver,  Washington,  Hector,  Warren,  ^ebecca,  and  Favorite,  and  the 
names  of  their  captains  were  those  characteristic  ones  among  the  settlers  of  the 
islands,  as  follows :  Worth,  Bunker,  Brock,  Barnard,  Header,  and  Folger.  Those 
ships  wore  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden,  dull  sailers,  having  no  copper 
on  their  bottoms,  and  but  scantily  fitted  with  whaling  appliances  or  provisions. 
The  scene  of  their  first  exploits  was  upon  the  coast  of  Chile.  Those  pioneer  voy- 
ages, through  the  persistent  daring  of  the  hardy  men  who  led  them,  were  eminently 
successful,  which  induced  the  people  of  the  neighboring  settlements  of  other  New 
England  ports  to  extend  their  whaling  commerce,  and  but  few  3^ears  passed  before 
a  numerous  fleet  were  plying  over  those  rough  waters.  Gradually,  however,  they 
extended  their  cruises  toward  the  more  distant  but  smiling  regions  of  the  tropics. 
As  early  as  1800,*  American  whalers  were  plowing  the  sparkling  waters  along  the 
coast  of  Peru,  and  their  keels  cut  the  equatorial  line,  north  and  south,  in  the 
Pacific.  A  favorite  cruising -ground  was  from  the  Spanish  Main,  westward,  around 
the  Galapagos  Islands.  There  a  rich  harvest  rewarded  them,  where  they  labored  in 
a  genial  climate,  with  an  almost  uninterrupted  succession  of  fine  breezes  and  pleas- 
ant weather.  At  certain  seasons,  north  of  the  equator,  the  north-east  trades  blew 
fresh,  and  at  the  south  they  aould  frequently  increase  to  a  brisk  gale  ;  but  these 
periodical  breezes,  compared  with  tiie  heavy  gales  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  tedious 
weather  about  Cape  Horn,  served  only  to  enliven  thom  into  renewed  activity  under 
the  heated  rays  of  a  tropical  sun,  when  in  pursuit  of  the  vast  herds  of  Cachalots 
which  were  mot  with,  bounding  over  or  through  the  crested  waves.  During  these 
long  voyages,  it  became  unavoidably  necessary  to  occasionally  go  into  port,  in  order 
to  "recruit  ship."  When  arrived  at  these  places  of  supply,  good  store  of  fresh 
meat,  water,  and  vegetables  was  laid  in,  and  the  ship's  company  were  allowed  to 
pass,  in  turn,  a  few  days  of  liberty  on  shore.  In  duo  time  those  ports  along  the 
coast  of  Chile  and  Peru,  which  were  suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  adventurers, 
became  famous  places  of  resort  for  Amor'^an  whale- ships.     The  principal  ones  were 

aucl  the  aBsailants  are  immerRed  in  tho  dreadful  upon  as  a  sure  prey.     The  blood  ^vhich  she  has 

elemcr        *     *     At   other   times   she    will    dive  lost   in  her  flight   we<Ujens   her   so    inuch,    that 

and   disappear   from   human    sight ;    and  every-  if   iho  sinks  again,  it  is  but  for  a  short  time ; 

thing   must   then    give  way   to   her  velocity,   or  the   boat    follows    her    course,    with    an    almost 

else  all  is  lost.     Sometimes  she  will  swim  away,  equal  speed.      She   soon  ro  -  appears ;  and,    tired 

as  if   untouched,  and  draw  tho  cord  with  such  at  last  with  convulsing  the  element,  which  she 

swiftness,  that  it  will  set  tho  edge  of  tho  boat  tinges  with  her  blood,  she  dies,  and  floats  upon 

on  fire  by  the  friction.     If  she  rises,  before  she  the  surface." 

has  run  out  the  whole   length,   she  is  lookod  *  Nantucket  paper. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE- FISHERY.  211 

Talcahuano  and  Valparaiso,  in  Chile,  and  Payta,  Callao,  and  Tumbez,  in  Peru.  At 
those  places  usually  could  be  obtained  any  needed  recruits,  and  the  picturesque 
scenery,  blended  with  those  sunny  climes,  together  with  the  charms  of  the  beautiful 
women,  made  their  periodical  visits  to  the  coast  peculiarly  attractive,  and  wrought 
an  entire  temporary  change  from  the  life  on  "blue  water."  The  abrupt  and  lofty 
group  of  islands — the  Galapagos — which  extend  into  both  latitudes  from  the  equa- 
tor, and  the  little  island  of  Cocos,  situated  in  the  rainy  region  on  the  border  of 
Panama  Bay,  were  frequently  visited,  and  became  more  familiar  to  the  whalemen, 
in  many  instances,  than  their  Atlantic  homes.  Every  ragged  mountain  and  verdant 
valley  of  the  former  were  traversed  in  hunting  the  galapago,  or  "elephant  terrapin," 
which  furnished  them  with  ample  supply  of  the  most  delicious  meat,  and  the 
latter  was  resorted  to  for  fresh  water,  which  was  dipped  from  cascades  flowing  out 
of  their  natural  reservoir  beyond  the  wooded  bluirs.  And  upon  the  rocks  about 
the  beach  of  Chatham  Bay,  rudely  chiseled,  are  the  records  of  those  pioneer  whale- 
fishers,  together  with  the  dates  of  the  visits  of  transient  vessels,  from  the  pigmy 
shallops  of  Drake's  time  to  the  magnificent  national  ships  of  the  present  century. 
The  War  of  1812  caused  another  cessation  in  American  whaling,  yet  it  was  revived 
simultaneously  with  the  declaration  of  peace;  and,  as  early  as  1815,  ships  were  in 
pursuit  of  the  balffinas  amid  the  icy  regions  of  the  north  and  south,  and  the  Cacha- 
lots in  both  hemispheres.  Not  unfrequently  American  whalemen  were  the  discoverers 
and  pioneers  to  distant  islands  and  coasts  when  engaged  in  their  legitimate  pursuits  ; 
and  they  were  often  the  first  to  display  our  national  flag  in  commercial  marts 
remote  from  their  homo  havens.  In  this  connection  we  will  mention  the  fact  that, 
in  1792,*  at  the  peak  of  the  ship  Washington,  of  Nantucket,  under  the  command 
of  George  Bunker,  was  hoisted  the  first  American  ensign  ever  spread  to  the  breeze 
in  the  port  of  Callao.  Characteristic  of  the  life  they  led,  the  love  of  adventure 
tempted  the  whalers  to  turn  their  prows  even  from  the  sunny  shores  of  Peru,  and, 
with  flowing  sheets,  they  coursed  over  the  Pacific  until,  in  latitude  5°  to  lO''  south, 
and  longitude  105°  to  125°  west,  the  objects  of  pursuit  were  found  in  countless 
numbers,  whose  huge  forms  blackened  the  waves,  and  whoso  spoutings  clouded  the 
air  as  far  as  the  eye  could  discern.  This  discovery  was  made  by  Captain  George 
W.  Gardner,  in  the  ship  Globe,  of  Nantucket,  in  1818. f  The  captain  named  it  the 
"Ofl"- shore  Ground,"  and  ere  long  this  circumscribed  spot  in  the  ocean  was  whitened 
by  the  sails  of  fifty  ships. 

Captain  Winship,   of  Brighton,   Massachusetts,   reported  to  his  friends  at  Nan- 
tucket, that  on  a  voyage  from  China  to   the   Sandwich  Islands,  he   had   seen  large 

*  Proceedings  American  Antiquarian  Society,  No.  57,  p.  29.  f  Nantucket  paper. 


212  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

numbers  of  Sperm  Whales  on  the  coast  of  Japan.  Upon  this  information,  in  1820, 
ships  were  dispatched  to  what  is  now  known  as  the  Japan  Ground.  The  two  first 
to  arrive  were  the  Nantucket  ship  Maro^  Captain  Joseph  Allen,  and  the  English 
ship  Enderhj,  which  was  commanded  by  Frederick  Coffin,  of  Nantucket.  Here  they 
were  successful  in  soon  filling  their  vessels  with  sperm  oil,  and  two  years  after 
there  were  more  than  thirty  ships  upon  that  coast.  About  this  period  nearly  the 
whole  coast  of  western  North  America,  as  for  as  the  land  known  as  New  Albion, 
was  traversed  by  the  sperm -whalemen,  and  it  is  said  that  more  than  a  hundred 
ships  were  literally  spanning  the  North  Pacific  in  their  eager  search  between  the 
two  continents  for  the  coveted  Cachalots.  In  1828,  four  ships  were  sent  from 
Nantucket  to  cruise  for  Sperm  Whales  off  the  coast  of  Zanzibar,  around  the  Chy- 
chile  Islands,  and  about  the  mouth  of  the  Rod  Sea ;  and  one  of  the  number,  with 
the  very  appropriate  name  of  Columbus,  through  the  skill  and  energy  of  the  captain, 
sailed  up  the  Red  Sea  in  quest  of  the  objects  of  pursuit. 

But  while  the  explorations  and  the  chase  for  both  the  Cachalot  and  the  Right 
Whale  were  being  vigorously  prosecuted  in  the  North  and  South  Atlantic,  and 
through  the  temperate  and  torrid  zones,  not  only  by  American  whalemen,  but  by 
vessels  wearing  the  flags  of  the  principal  maritime  nations  of  Europe,  those  'emote 
and  forbidding  latitudes  of  the  Indian  Ocean  and  the  South  Pacific  had  received 
due  attention.  As  far  back  as  1803,  ships  were  cruising  around  Kurguelen  Land 
for  Right  Whales,  in  the  season,  and  sometimes  a  portion  of  their  crews  were 
engaged  in  sealing  along  the  surf -beaten  shores  of  Desolation  and  the  Crozet 
islands,  making  up  "mixed"  but  profitable  voyages.  Subsequently  the  coasts  of 
New  Zealand  and  New  Holland  (now  Australia),  became  prolific  whaling -grounds. 
Yet,  with  all  the  vast  extent  of  both  sea  and  ocean  known  to  the  whalemen  for 
prosecuting  their  vocation,  there  were  adventurous  spirits  among  them  who  were 
ever  in  deep  study  and  eager  for  a  new  field  of  pursuit,  and  plying  their  vessels  to 
the  far  north  in  the  Pacific,  an  unparalleled  success  awaited  them.  In  the  year 
1835,'''  the  American  ship  Ganges  took  the  first  Right  Whale  on  the  Kodiak  Ground. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  great  whaling  of  the  North-western  Coast;  and  in 
1839  the  fleet  of  the  United  States  engaged  in  whaling  numbered  five  hundred  and 
fifty -seven  vessels,  which  were  distributed  among  the  Northern  Atlantic  ports  in 
the  proportions  set  forth  in  the  subjoined  table.  In  1842  the  number  was  six 
hundred  and  fifty -two.  At  this  time  the  foreign  whaling- fleet  amounted  to  two 
hundred  and  thirty  sail,  and  the  combined  fleet  of  the  world,  engaged  in  the  enter- 
prise, numbered  eight  hundred  and  eighty -two  ships,  barks,  brigs,  and  schooners. 

*  ride!  Nantucket  jiaper. 


THE   AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


213 


PUcea  where  owned. 


New  Bedford . . . 

Fairhaven 

Dartmouth 

Westport 

Wareham 

Rochester 

Nantucket 

Edgartown 

Hohnes'  Hole. . . 

Fall  River 

Lynn 

Newburyport . . . 

Plymouth 

Salem 

Boston 

Dorchester 

Falmouth 

Provincetown. . . 

Portland 

Wiscasset 


Bblpi 

And 

Buki. 


169 
43 
3 
5 
2 
6 

77 
8 
3 
4 
4 
3 
3 
14 

2 

8 

1 
1 


Brlg> 

and 

Schn. 


8 
1 

4 

2 

10 

4 

1 
3 


Amonat 

of 
Tonnage. 


56,118 

13,274 

874 

1,443 

904 

2,615 

27,364 

2,659 

1,180 

1,604 

1,269 

1,099 

910 

4,265 

125 

581 

2,490 

172 

388 

380 


PUeea  where  owned. 


Portsmouth  . . . . 

Newport 

Bristol 

Warren 

Providence 

New  London . . . 

Stonington 

Mystic 

Sag  Harbor . . . . 

Greenport 

New  Suffolk.  . . . 

Jamesport 

Bridgeport 

Now  York 

Hudson 

Poughkeepsie  . . 
Cold  Sjiriug.  . . . 
AV'ilmington . . . . 
Newark 


Shipa 

and 

Barka. 

Brlga 

ana 

Schra. 

Amoant 
of 

Tuniuiie. 

1 

. , 

348 

9 

2 

3,152 

5 

1 

1,782 

18 

3 

6,075 

3 

1,086 

30 

9 

11,447 

7 

6 

2,912 

5 

3 

1,797 

31 

10,605 

4 

1 

1,414 

1 

274 

1 

236 

3 

913 

3 

710 

8 

2,902 

0 

2,043 

2 

629 

5 

1,578 

1 

366 

In  1846,  the  American  force  engaged  was  six  hundred  and  seventy -eight  ships 
and  barks,  thirty -five  brigs,  and  twenty -two  schooners,  aggregating  two  hundred 
and  thirty-three  thousand  one  hundred  aiad  eighty-  o  tons,  valued  at  $21,075,000. 
At  the  same  time,  all  the  investments  connected  with  the  business  are  sjiid  to  have 
been  at  least  $70,000,000,  and  seventy  thousand  persons  derived  their  chief  support 
from  the  whaling  interests.  The  first  Bowliead  Whales  taken  in  the  North  Pucific, 
or  in  Behring  Sea,  were  by  the  American  ships  Hercules,  Captain  Ricketsou,  and 
Janus,  Captain  Turner,  which  were  on  the  coast  of  Kamschatka  in  1843.  In  1847, 
Bowheads  were  discovered  in  the  Okhotsk  Sea;  and  in  1848,  Captain  Royco,  in  the 
bark  Superior,  of  Sag  Harbor,  was  the  first  to  pass  through  Behring  Strait,  and 
capture  the  Bakena  mysticetus  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  From  1846  to  1851,  inclusive, 
the  whale-fishery  of  the  United  States  may  be  regarded  as  having  been  in  its  most 
flourisliing  condition,  the  average  number  of  vessels  annually  employed  for  these 
years  being  six  hundred  and  thirty -eight,  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  two  hun- 
dred and  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy -two  tons.     This  immense  fleet 


was  scattered  around  the  world,  plying  upon  the  well-known  cruising -grounds, 
which  wore  familiarly  named  as  follow : 

Sperm  Whale  Grout; ds  :  Atlantic  Ocean  and  contiguous  waters. — Around  the  Azores 
or  Western  Islands ;  about  the  Capo  do  Verde  Islands ;  the  Charleston  Grounds ; 
north  of  the  Bahama  Islands;  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  in  the  Caribbean  Sea;  about 
the  West  India  Islands  ;  on  the  coast  of  Aft-ica ;  and  the  Carrol  Ground,  whicli  is  a 
space  of  ocean  situated  between  the  island  of  St.  Helena  and  the  coast  of  Africa. 

Sperm  Wiiale  Grouxps:  Indian  Ocean  and  neigliborimj  waters. — To  the  south  of 
Madagascar,  and  between  that  island  and  Africa ;  off  the  northern  end  of  Mada- 
gascar ;  along  the  coast  of  Arabia,  including  the  mouth  of  the  Rod  Sea ;  on  the 
coast  of  Java;  Malacca  Straits;  on  the  north-western  coast  of  Australia;  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Australia,  and  botwon  it  and  Tasmania  or  Van  Dicman's  Land. 

Sperm  Whale  Grounds:  Pacific  Ocean  and  adjacent  imters. — The  On-shore  Ground, 
which  includes  the  whole  extent  of  ocean  between  the  southern  boundary  of  Chile 
and  the  northern  limits  of  Peru,  and  west  to  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez  and  the 
Gallapagos  group;  the  Off-shore  Ground,  which  extends  to  latitude  5'  and  10' 
south  of  the  equator,  and  from  longitude  90'  to  120'  west ;  off  Cape  Ilorn ;  around 
the  Sandwich  Islands ;  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Society  Islands ;  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Fiji  Islands ;  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Navigator  Islands ;  about  the  King's  Mill 
group ;  about  and  to  the  south  of  the  equator,  from  the  coust  of  Ecuador  to  the 
King's  Mill  group  ;  across  the  South  Pacific  between  the  latitudes  of  21°  and  27' ; 
across  the  North  Pacific  between  the  latitudes  of  27'  and  35'  ;  off  the  Bashce 
Islands ;  off  the  east  coast  of  New  Zealand  ;  on  the  Middle  Ground  between  Aus- 
tralia and  Now  Zealand ;  Sooloo  Sea ;  China  Sea ;  on  the  coast  of  Japan,  and 
between  it  and  the  Bonin  Islands;  on  the  North-western  Coast  of  America;  on  the 
coast  of  Upper  and  Lower  California.  Sperm  Whales  are  also  found  in  as  high  lati- 
tudes as  GO'  south  and  50'  to  GO'  north.  All  these  whaling- grounds,  it  will  be 
seen,  were  the  resorting -places  of  the  Sperm  Wliales,  and  consequently  of  their 
captors,  nearly  all  of  them  being  in  the  temperate  or  tropical  latitudes ;  but  the 
Right  Whales'  feeding  -  grounds  are  chiefly  in  the  colder  regions,  although  some  of 
their  resorts  were  upon  coasts  or  banks  in  common  with  their  congeners.  The 
principal  grounds,  however,  of  the  Right  and  Polai*  Whales  were  designated  as  fol- 
lows: 

Northern  Right  Whale  Grounds  :  Including  those  of  the  Bowhead  or  Polar  Whak. 
—  On  the  Atlantic  coast  of  North  America,  from  Newfoundland  south  to  the  Bahama 
Islands;  on  the  North-western  Coast  of  North  America,  which  includes  Behring  Sea; 
on  the  coast  of  Kamschatka ;  the  Okliotak  Sea ;  the  Japan  Sea ;  the  Gulf  of  Tar- 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  215 

tary;   through  Behring  Sea  into  the  Arctic  Occm,  and  as  far  north  as  the  icy  bar- 
rier,  which,  in  some   seasons,  was  found  beyond   Point  Barrow:   in  Hudson's  Bay  • 
in  Baffin's   Bay;   in  Davis  Straits;   on  the  Coast  of  Greenland;'  about  Soitzbergen' 
Southern   Right   Whale    Grounds. -On    the   Brazil    Banks;    on    the    coo.st    of 
Africa;    on    the   coast   of   Patagonia;    around    the    Falkland    Islands;    the    Tristan 
Ground,  which  was  around   the  island  of  Tristan  d'Acunha  in  the  South  Atlantic  • 
around  Gough's  Island ;   around  St.  Paul's,  the  Crozet  and  Kerguelen  islands  •   coast 
of  New  Holland;    south  coast  of  Chile;   coast  of  New  Zealand;    off  the   Cape   of 
Good  Hope.      Many  of  the  whaling- grounds  mentioned  have  long  since  been  aban- 
doned,  as  the  animals  p-.rsued  have  been  literally  exterminated  by  the  harpoon  and 
lance;  and  many  of  the  names  to  the  grounds  arc  only  given  in  the  familiar  appcl- 
lations  of  whalers,  which  embrace  large  tracts  o;  ocean,   sea,   or  gulf,   within    the 
limits  of  which,  in  many  cases,  are  found  choice  feeding -grounds  where  the  animals 
congregate.     This  is  well-known  to  all  careful  observers,  and  is  a  foct  that  proves 
the  theories  establishing  the  legitimate  r^  .rts  of  whales  on  purely  scientific  princi- 
pies,  in  connection  with  the  ocean  currents,  to  be  erroneous.     These  places  can  only 
be  known,  or  have  been  discovered,  by  practical  observation  ;  and  many  a  ship  has 
been  filled  with  oil  by  cruising  on  a  favorite  spot,  while  others  but  a  few  leagues 
distant,  on  the  same  general  ground,  may  have  met  ^vith  indifferent  success.     Besides 
the  Cachalots  and   the  Right  \7hales,  two  species  of  the  rorquals  were  occasionally 
pursued,  which  are  known  as  the  Humpback,  and  the  California  Gray  or  Devilfish- 
the  former  are   found  t"oadcast  over  the  waters  of  the  globe,  but  many  have  been 
taken  in  some  of  the  bays  on  the  coa^s  of  Africa,  Chile  and  Peru,  Central  America 
and  California,  about  the  Rosemary  Islands,  and  at  Tongataboo  (one  of  the  Friendly 
group);  and  the  latter  were,  and  still  are,  taken  on  the  coast  of  California    in  the 
Arctic  Ocean,  and  Okhotsk  Sea.      With  the  Humpbacks  and   California  Grays    may 
be  mentioned  the  Blackfish,  which  were  sometimes  taken  on  Sperm  Whale  grounds  • 
these,  included  with  the  Right  Whales  and  Cachalots,  were  all  the  different  species 
of  Cetaceans  sought  after  by  the  whalers.* 

•Tho   great    rorqual,    commonly   called    the  greatest  of  great  shales,  has  been  devised.     The 

Sulphurbot torn    has  been  occasionally  taken  on  manner  of  capturing  those  obtained  on  the  coast, 

the  CO  St  of  Cah fomia  of  late  years,  but  as  yet  is  given  with  the  description  of  the  aaimal  in 

no  really  successful  mode  of  capturing  this,  the  this  work. 


CHAPTER   III. 
SHIPS,  OUTFITS,  AiND  iMAX^ER  OF  TAKING  THE  WHALE. 

It  is  the  general  impression  among  those  imacquaintod,  that  a  successful  whal- 
ing-voyage is  inordinately  remunerative;  or  rather,  that  a  '"full  sliip"  insures  great 
profit.  This,  however,  does  not  always  follow,  for  the  success  of  the  American 
Whale-fishery  is  due,  first,  to  the  economical  but  efficient  manner  in  which  the 
ships  were  fitted  out  for  their  long  and  tedious  voyages ;  secondly,  the  perseverance 
and  good  management  of  the  captains  and  chief  officers,  and,  when  the  voyage  ter- 
minated, the  disposition  of  the  "catch"  to  the  best  advantage. 

There  has  been  as  great  a  revolution  in  the  mode  of  killing  whales  during  the 
past  twenty  years,  as  there  has  been  in  the  art  of  naval  warfare  ;  were  it  not  for 
this,  but  few  whalei^  would  now  be  afloat;  and  the  "well -'pointed"  whale -ship  of 
the  present  day,  in  all  her  appliances,  shows  a  corresponding  improvement  when 
compared  with  the  whaler  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Relative  to  those  oldcn- 
timo  vessels,  we  quote  the  following  from  Macy's  IFistory  of  Xmitucket:  "The  ship 
Beaver,  of  two  hundred  and  forty  tons,  sailed  from  Nantucket  on  a  whaling -voyage 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  in  the  year  1791.  The  whole  cost  of  said  ship  fitted  for  the 
voyage,  together  with  the  cargo,  amounted  to  $10,212.  She  carried  seventeen  men, 
manning  three  boats  of  five  nien  each,  which  left  two,  called  ship -keepers,  on  board 
the  ship  when  th'-  boats  were  out  in  pursuit  of  whales.  The  principal  part  of  her 
cargo,  when  fitted  for  sea,  consisted  of  four  hundred  barrels  iron -hooped  casks  (the 
remainder,  about  fourteen  hundred  barrels,  were  wooden -hooped),  forty  barrels  salt 
provisions,  three  and  a  half  tons  of  bread,  thirty  bushels  of  beans  and  peas,  ono 
thousand  pounds  ol  rice,  forty  gallons  of  molasses,  and  twenty -four  barrels  of  flour. 
All  the  additional  provisions  during  the  \'oyagc  were  two  hundred  pounds  of  bread. 
The  ship  was  seventeen  months  out,  and  was  the  first  belonging  to  tlie  island  that 
returned  from  the  Pacific  Ocean."  The  ships  of  the  present  time  which  engage  in 
whaling  arc  from  throe  hundred  to  five  hundred  tons,  and  when  ready  for  a  three 
years'  voyage,  their  estimated  value  may  bo  set  down  as  ranging  from  $30,000  to 
$G0,000.     The  variety  and  quantity  of  nrtiolos  which  go  to  make  up   the  entire 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


Ill 


outfit  of  a  first-class  whaler,  would  swell  a  list  too  lengthy  to  be  mentioned  hero.* 
But  instead  of  the  small  boats,  pulling  four  oars  each,  as  did  those  of  the  Beaver, 
the  modern  ship  lowers  foiu"  uuai.:-  with  five  oars  each  to  pull ;  and  two  or  three 
spare  boats  are  taken  on  board  as  a  reserve  ;  and  instead  of  the  old  stylo  windlass, 
which  was  "hove  'round"  with  handspikes,  they  now  have  the  patent  purchase. 
The  try- works,  which  in  former  times  smoked  the  whole  ship's  company  when 
''boiling-out  oil,"  are  now  so  fitted  with  portable  pipes,  as  to  carry  the  smoke 
clear  of  the  decks;  in  fact,  there  is  hardly  a  fixture,  or  an  implement,  pertaining 
to  the  "outfit,"  that  has  not  been  improved  upon,  which  will  bo  further  described 
in  subsequent  pages. 

History  is  replete  in  portraying  the  toils  and  hazards  of  the  whaleman;  but 
very  little  is  said  about  the  merchant  who  embarks  his  capital  in  this  branch  of 
industry,  which  to  no  little  extent  is  a  game-pursuit  of  chance:  and  the  irksome 
detail  of  preparing  a  whale- ship  for  sea  is  only  known  to  those  who  have  had  the 
trial  of  it.  The  success  of  this  particular  branch  of  our  national  commerce  inny  be 
directly  traced  back  to  the  persistent  elTorts  of  those  sterling  business  gentlemen, 
who  have  been,  or  still  are,  the  leading  merchants  of  the  chief  whaling- ports  of  the 
Lnited  States.  And  first  and  pre-eminent  among  them  were  the  Rotches  of  Xan- 
tucket,t  and  the  llussells  and   Rodmans  of  New  Bedford.     Yet  there  are  scores  of 


*  For  a  ilctaileil  list  sco  Appendix. 

t  A  i-cmiiiisceuco  of  Mr.  William  Rotch,  who 
•".as  the  grtat  leader  in  tho  early  days  of  Amer- 
ican wbaliMSf  commerce,  may  bo  interesting,  as 
relatinpr  fo  his  business  career  both  in  Ent,'land 
and  France.  After  tho  Revolution,  Mr.  Rotch, 
found  his  losses  to  bo  very  heavy  on  account  of 
the  war,  and  tho  Nantucket -men  experiencing 
great  difHouHy  in  prosecuting  whaling  to  any 
profit,  owing  to  tlio  vexatious  restrictions  of  En- 
gland relative  to  tho  import  of  oil  and  whale- 
bone, induced  Iho  distinguished  pioneer  whaling 
merchant  to  visit  England,  hoping  by  direct  per- 
sonal communication  with  tho  British  Ooverument 
that  some  arrangement  might  bo  brought  about  to 
lessen  tho  burdens  of  himself  and  his  compeers. 
Accordingly,  ho,  with  his  son  Benjamin,  fitted 
out  tho  ship  Jl/iiria— which  was  commanded  by 
one  of  tho  favorite  captains,  William  Mooors  ; 
and  both  father  and  son  sailed  from  Nantucket, 

Makini  Mahhals.  -  39. 


for  London,  tho  1st  of  July,  1785,  where  thoy 
arrived  ou  tho  21th  of  the  same  month.  Among 
Mr.  Botch's  influential  friends  in  London  was 
Robert  Barclay,  and  this  gentleman  introduced 
him  to  Henry  Beaufoy,  a  member  of  Parliament, 
and  that  dignitary  presented  him  to  the  Chancel- 
lor of  tho  Excheciuor,  tho  groat  imi)crial  William 
Pitt  (then  about  twenty -seven  years  of  age). 
Mr.  Pitt  received  him  witli  great  politeness,  and 
listened  attentively  to  Mr.  Rotcii's  remarks,  which 
are  reported  to  have  been  as  follow  ; 

"'When  tho  war  commenced,  wo  declared 
against  taking  any  part  in  it,  and  strenuously 
adhered  to  this  determination,  thus  placing  our- 
selves as  a  neutral  island.  Novorthelcss,  you 
have  taken  from  us  two  hundred  b,uI  of  vessels 
—  valued  at  ono  million  dollars  — unju.<tly  and 
illegally  !  Had  tho  war  been  founded  on  a  gen- 
eral declaration  against  America,  n-i'  should  have 
boon  included,  but  it  was  predicated  ou  a  vchd- 


I  ( 


u 


218 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


morcantLlc  gentlemen,  who  followed  in  the  same  field,  that  have  emulated  them  in 
every  point  of  thorougli  business  transactions  connected  with  the  enterprise.  Among 
the  most  distinguished,  we  will  mention  the  Ilowlands,  Parkers,  Robinsons,  Boin-nes, 
Swifts,  Joneses,  Aliens,  Woods,  Wings,  KnoAvleses,  and  Tuckers,  of  Now  Bedford  ; 
tli(>  Coffins,  Stiirbucks,  Sanfords,  and  Gardiners,  of  Xantucket ;  also,  the  names  of 
Williams,  Barnes,  Chapel,  Havens,  Perkins,  and  Smith,  of  Xew  London ;  and  the 
Icadiug  men  of  Fairhavcn — Church,  Whitwell,  Gibbs,  Jenney.  And  Provincetown, 
one  of  the  oldest  whaling- ports  in  Xew  England,  which  is  distinguished  for  its 
numerous  fleet  of  small  vessels,  has  upon  her  record  tlio  Cooks  and  Nickcrsons. 
Stonington  speiilo  of  her  Williams  and  Trumbull  ;  Edgartown  of  her  Osborne  and 
Worth  ;  Greonport  of  her  Ireland,  Wells  and  Carpenter  ;  Warron  of  its  Childs  and 
Johnson ;  Westport  of  its  Hicks  ami  Wilcox.  Sag  Harbor  had  her  Deerings, 
Howells,  Huntings,  Sleights,  and  Browns ;  Mystic  her  Mallory,  Randall,  Smith,  and 
Ashley ;  and  Mattapoisctt  her  Barstow. 


lion  I  consequently,  nono  could  have  been  in* 
eluded  in  it  but  such  ns  were  in  arms,  or  those 
who  were  aiding  such.  We  have  done  neither ! 
As  a  proof  of  our  being  without  the  reach  of 
your  declaration,  yo<i  sent  commissioners  to  re- 
store jK>acu  to  i\jacrica,  in  which,  any  province, 
county,  or  town,  that  should  make  submission 
and  receive  juinlon,  should  bo  reinstated  in  its 
former  situation.  As  we  had  not  oflfcnded,  wo 
had  no  submission  to  make,  nor  pardon  to  ask, 
and  certainly  it  is  very  hard  if  wo  do  not  stand 
on  better  ground  tliau  those  who  have  offended ; 
consequently,  wo  remainotl  a  part  of  your  do- 
minions until  separated  by  the  peace  I'  After  a 
long  pause,  Mr.  Pitt  replied  :  '  Undoubtedly  you 
oi'e  right,  sir.  Now,  what  can  bo  done  for  you?> 
'I  ansAvcred  him,'  said  Mr.  Rotch,  'that  in  the 
present  situation  of  tilings,  the  principal  part  of 
our  inhabitants  must  leave  the  islan  1  Some 
wcmld  go  into  the  cw^ntry,  and  a  part  would 
remain,  and  contiiiuo  their  legitimate  business, 
uud  I  wish  to  continue  the  whale-fishery  wher- 
ever it  can  be  pursued  to  advantage  ;  thcreforo, 
my  eliief  business  Ijeforo  this  nation  is,  to  as- 
certain if  the  fishery  Ih  an  object  worth  giving 
BUcU  cncourogement  for  a  removal  to  England 


as  the  subject  deserves.'  Thus  our  conversation 
ended,  and  I  withdrew  with  my  friend  Hany 
Beaufoy. 

"The  subject  was  laid  before  the  Privy  Coun- 
cil, as  the  secretarj",  Stephen  C  tterel,  sent  mo 
a  note,  soon  after  this  conversi.cion,  saying  the 
Council  would  sit  at  an  early  day,  when  they 
would  licar  what  I  had  to  say.  I  waited  for 
that  early  day  a  mouth,  and  then  I  waited  on 
Secretary  Cotterel  to  know  what  occasioned  do- 
liiy?  His  answer  was,  that  so  much  business 
lay  before  tlio  Council,  that  they  had  not  time 
or  had  not  bo/;u  able  to  attend  to  it,  but  would 
soon.  Thus  I  waited,  i.ot  desiring  to  leave  town 
lost  I  slioidd  bo  called  for.  This  state  of  things 
continued  for  more  than  four  months,  during 
which  time  I  received  several,  what  I  called  un- 
meaning, c(«irt  mcsa.igos,  such  as  'Thej'  wore 
sorry  they  wore  not  able  .o  send  for  mo,'  etc., 
etc.  I  then  desired  them  to  appoint  some  per- 
son for  mo  to  confer  with,  that  the  matter  might 
bo  brought  to  a  close.  This  was  done,  but  un- 
hapi)ily  Lord  Hawkosbury  was  tlio  poi-son.  A 
greater  enemy  to  America  could  not  be  found,  1 
believe,  in  that  body,  nor  hardly  in  the  nation. 
I  waited  on  him,  and  informed   him  what   on- 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE -FISHERY. 


219 


Wg  speak  of  the  whaling  merchants  as  being  not  of  that  class  who  anticipated 
largo  profits  and  quick  returns,  but  only  a  legitimate  compensation  for  their  labors, 
and  a  fair  interest  upon  the  capital  invested  in  the  voyages,  wlucli  required  from 
one  to  four  years'  time  to  accomplish ;  and  often,  thougli  the  expedition  terminated 
unsuccessfully,  the  ship  waa  again  sent  out  on  another  voyage,  trusting  that  con- 
tinued perseverance  would  bring  about  final  success,  which  in  many  cases  was  fully 
realized.  There  are  over  one  thousand  different  articlos  required  to  complete  the 
outfit  of  a  first -class  whale -ship,  many  of  them  of  trifiing  value  to  be  sure,  yet  all 
important  to  the  success  of  the  voyage.  Then  there  are  the  officers  and  crew  to 
bo  shipped,  "on  a  lay."  The  latter  may  bo  without  much  difficulty  obtained  from 
the  shipping  agents ;  but  to  solect  and  engage  a  set  of  officers,  of  the  liighest  char- 
acter and  unu^ubted  skill  in  their  profession,  is  not  so  oasy  a  matter,  and  it  is 
but  rarely  accomplished.  If  half  tlicir  number  are  really  "crack  whalemen,"  the 
voyage  will   usually  be  a  successful  one,  if  whales  are   found  ii\  sufficient  numbers. 


couragemont  I  thought  would  induce  a  removal, 
which  I  ostimatod  at  one  hundred  pounds  ster- 
ling transportation  for  a  family  of  five  jjersons, 
and  one  hundred  pounds  sterling  settlement — 
say  twenty  thousand  pounds  sterling,  for  a  hun- 
dred families.  'Ah  I'  said  ho,  'that  is  a  great 
sum !  and  at  this  time,  too,  when  we  are  all 
endeavoring  to  encourage  our  own  expeditions.' 
I  replied,  'Thou  mayst  think  it  a  great  sura 
for  this  nation  to  pay —I  think  two- thirds  of  it 
a  great  suui  for  you  to  have  taken  from  mo  as 
an  individual,  unjustly  and  illegally!'  Wo  had 
a  long  conversation,  and  I  left  him,  to  call  again 
in  a  few  days,  which  I  did.  I  then  added  to 
my  demand  the  liberty  to  bring  thirty  ships  — 
American  ships  — for  the  fishery.  'O,  no!'  said 
he,  '  that  can  not  bo ;  our  carpenters  must  bo 
employed.'  I  mentioned  that  we  had  some  ships 
that  were  built  before  the  war,  '  those  can  sure- 
ly be  admitted?'  'No;  they  must  be  British- 
built.'  'Will  it  be  any  advantage,  if  an  emigra- 
tion takes  place,  for  tho  emigrants  to  bri.ig 
property  witli  them?'  I  replied.  'Yes,  certainly.' 
•If  they  can  invest  their  money  in  articles  that 
will  be  worth  doublo  hero  to  what  they  are  at 
homo,  will  that  bo  any  additional  advantage  to 


this  country?'  'Yes!'  'Then  why  not  bring 
ships,  when  two  of  ours  will  not  cost  one  of 
yours?'  'O!  we  don't  make  mercantile  calcu- 
lations; 'tis  seamen  wo  want!'  'Then,  surely, 
two  of  our  vessels  will  answer  your  purpose 
better  than  one  of  yours,  as  they  will  make 
doublo  tho  number  of  seamen,  which  is  tho  thing 
aimed  at?'  He  saw  that  ho  was  in  a  dilemma, 
out  of  which  ho  could  not  reason  himself,  and 
stniggled  through  with  some  violence.  He  had 
made  his  own  nice  calculations  of  eighty  -  seven 
pounds  ten  shillings  for  transportation  and  set- 
tlement of  a  family,  and  said  he,  'I  am  about 
a  fishery  bill,  and  want  to  C(nne  at  something  I 
can  insert!'  INIy  answer  was,  'Thou  canst  go 
on  with  thy  fishery  bill.  Thy  offer  is  no  object 
to  mo!'  'Well,  Mr.  Rotch,  you  will  call  on  me 
again  in  two  or  threo  days?"  'I  soo  no  neces- 
sity for  it.'  'But  I  desire  you  would.'  'If  thou 
dcsirest  it,  perhaps  I  may  call.'  However,  ho 
let  mo  rest  but  one  day,  before  he  sent  for  me 
again.  Fe  liad  tho  same  story  over  again,  but 
I  told  him  it  was  unnecessary  to  enter  again 
upon  the  subject.  I  then  iuform(>d  him  that  I 
had  heard  a  rumor  that  Nantucket  merchants 
had  agreed  to  furnish  Franco  with  a  quantity  of 


220 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE   NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


"When  the  ship  is  nearly  in  readiness  for  lier  voyage,  she  leaves  the  Avharf,  and  is 
anchored  in  the  effing,  to  complete  her  necessary  requirements.  When  the  last 
article  is  taken  in,  the  crew  and  officers  embark,  the  pilot  goes  on  board,  and  the 
man.iging  agent  informs  the  captain  that  the  vessel  is  ready  to  sail ;  he  gives  him 
his  general  instructions  for  the  vo3T»ge,  shakes  him  by  the  hand,  and  wishes  him  a 
"full  ship"  and  a  safe  return;  and  he  (the  agent)  feels  relieved  to  get  the  expe- 
dition temporarily  oT  his  hands ;  but  not  so  the  captain,  for  he  keenly  feels  his 
responsibility.  A  long,  anxious,  and  tedious  voyage  is  before  him  ;  if  successful,  he 
may  return  to  be  amply  rewarded  for  his  toils ;  if  unfortunate,  he  meets  with 
reproach  and  an  empty  purse.  But  there  is  no  time  for  dallying,  and  he  acknowl- 
edges the  compliments  of  his  employer,  bids  him  a  hurried  good -by,  steps  into  the 
waiting  boat,  and  repairs  on  board.  The  pilot  gives  his  orders,  the  ship  speeds 
away  under  a  press  of  canvas,  and  at  length  she  is  plunging  and  reeling  on  the 
broad  expanse  of  waters.     The  pilot  is  now  the  only  connecting  link  between  them 


oil.  Ho  stepped  to  Lis  bureau  and  took  out  a 
file  of  papers,  from  which  he  pretended  to  read 
au  entire  contradiction  of  the  report,  tliougli  I 
was  Batisfiod  there  was  not  a  line  there  on  tho 
Bubject.  I  said  '  it  was  only  a  vague  report  that 
I  heard,  and  I  can  not  vouch  for  tho  truth  of 
it,  but  wo  are  like  drowning  men,  catching  at 
every  straw  that  passes  by.  Therefore,  I  am 
determined  to  go  to  France  and  see  what  it  is. 
If  there  be  any  such  contract,  euflScient  to  retain 
us  at  Nantucket,  neither  you,  nor  any  other  na- 
tion can  liavo  us ;  and  if  it  is  insufficient,  I  shall 
endeavor  to  culargo  it.'  'Ah!'  said  ho,  'Quak- 
ers go  to  Franco?'  'Yes,  but  with  regret!'  I 
then  parted  with  Lord  Hawkesbury  for  the  last 
tino. 

' '  I  immediately  embarked  Avith  my  son  Ben- 
jamin, for  Dunkirk,  whoro  I  drew  up  my  pro- 
posals and  sent  them  to  Paris,  not  wishing  to 
proceed  farther  until  I  found  tho  disposition  of 
tho  French  Court.  They  sent  for  us  to  come 
immediately.  Wo  lost  no  time  in  answering  tho 
summons,  and  proceeded  at  onco  to  Paris.  Tho 
Master  of  Requests,  who  was  the  proper  minis- 
ter to  receive  our  proposals  aud  make  his  re- 
marks on  the  soToral  articles,  had  examined  them 


and  made  his  remarks- accordingly,  ^he  propo- 
sals were : 

'"Ist.  A  full  and  free  enjoyment  of  religion 
according  to  tho  jirinciples  of  tho  people  called 
Quakers.' 

"To  which  ho  annosod,  'AccordW 

"  '  2d.  An  entire  cxem-^tion  from  military  reg- 
ulations of  every  kind.' 

"To  this  ho  annexed  the  following  just  re- 
marks :  '  As  they  aro  all  jieaceablo  people  and 
meddle  not  with  tho  quarrels  of  princes,  neither 
internal  nor  external,  this  proposition  may  bo 
granted.' 

"Tho  other  proposition  related  to  tho  regula- 
tion of  tho  whale-fishery. 

"Wo  next  proceeded  to  tho  several  ministers, 
five  in  number,  at  Versailles.  First,  to  Calonno, 
Comptroller  of  Finance.  Wo  gave  our  reanons 
for  not  taking  off  our  hats  on  being  introduced 
to  them  all.  Calonne  replied  :  '  I  caro  nothing 
for  your  hats,  if  your  hearts  aro  right.'  Nest, 
wo  went  to  tho  aged  Vorgonnos,  Minister  of  For- 
eign Affairs ;  then  to  tlio  Marshal  do  Castro, 
Minister  of  Marino  ;  then  to  tho  Prince  of  Rubcc, 
Ghjneralissimo  of  Flanders ;  at  last,  to  tho  In- 
tondant  of  Flando.-a  —  who  all  agreed  to  my  pro- 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


221 


and  the  shore.  He  gives  the  word  to  "haul  aback,"  bids  a  hasty  farewell,  jumps 
into  his  boat,  and  returns  to  liis  secure  and  quiet  haven.  Quickly  the  order  is 
given  on  board  to  "fill  away,"  and  before  the  fresh,  fair  wind  the  floating  fragment 
si^eeds  with  swelling  sails,  and  soon  the  receding  land,  teeming  with  blissful  life 
and  plenty,  sinks  from  view  beneath  the  undulating  waves. 

Sea  life  is  such  a  change  from  that  on  shore,  one  fully  realizes  the  transition  ; 
and  the  monotony,  as  well  as  the  thrilling  incidents  associated  with  a  sailor's 
career,  have  been  so  often  and  so  vividly  portrayed,  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt 
here  to  add  any  new  features;  hence,  we  shall  only  give  a  somewhat  terse  account 
of  the  present  manner  of  conducting  a  whaling  voyage.  The  company  of  a  four- 
boat  whale -ship  number  at  least  thirty- five  persons,  viz.:  a  captain,  four  mates,  a 
cooper,  a  carpenter,  four  boat-steerers,  a  cook,  and  a  steward,  with  twenty -two 
men  and  boys.  When  the  vessel  is  making  a  passage,  the  officers  and  crew  are 
divided  into  two  watches,  with  the  exception  of  the  captain,  and  in  some  instances 


posala.  We  then  retm-ned  to  Paris,  and  were 
to  visit  "Versailles  to  take  leave  according  to  the 
etiquette  of  the  Court. 

"Before  wo  set  out,  one  of  the  ministers  ask- 
ed us  if  we  did  not  wish  to  visit  the  palace. 
We  excused  ourselves,  as  we  did  not  think  curi- 
osity would  justify  us,  if  our  plain  way  would 
give  offense.  While  we  remained  in  Paris,  wo 
received  a  note  from  the  minister,  saying  he  had 
spoken  to  the  King,  'who  gave  full  liberty  to 
the  Nantucket  Friends  (they  avoided  the  name 
of  '  Quaker  I '  when  they  found  it  was  given  in 
reproach)  to  visit  the  palace,  both  its  public  and 
private  apartments,  when  ho  was  out— which 
happened  almo-t  every  day.'  To  view  the  pri- 
vate apartments  was  a  great  privilege  not  often 
grunted,  except  to  persons  of  note.  But  unfa- 
vorably for  us,  the  King  did  not  happen  to  bo 
out  on  the  day  we  went  to  take  our  leave,  which 
was  a  disappointment ;  but  wo  went  through  the 
public  apartments  and  into  the  Chapel  I  When 
we  hesitated  at  the  latter,  the  officer  iusintod  on 
our  entering  in  our  own  way,  showing  us  ev- 
erything remarkable,  and  pointing  out  the  place 
occupied  by  the  royal  family  in  time  of  mass,  etc. 
"Wo  now  took  leave,  and  returned  to  Lon- 


don. After  I  was  gone  to  France,  Lord  Hawkes- 
bury  became  alarmed,  and  inquired  of  Harry 
Beaufoy,  and  asked  hira  if  I  had  gone  to  France. 
He  replied  in  the  affirmative.  'Why  has  he 
gone  there?'  'For  what  you  or  any  other  man 
would  have  gone;  you  would  not  make  him  an 
oflfer  worthy  his  acceptance.  He  will  now  try 
what  can  be  done  in  France!' 

"AI  xander  Champion  wrote  to  me  (I  sup- 
pose at  Lord  Hawkesbury's  request)  to  inform 
me  that  ho  had  made  provision  for  us  in  his 
fishery  bill,  and  inserted  liberty  for  us  to  bring 
in  forty  ships  instead  of  thirty!  which  I  had 
demanded,  ho  having  forgotten  the  number ;  but 
it  was  too  late.  This  letter  was  brought  to  our 
apartments,  and  wo  understood  the  bearer  to 
inquire  if  a  Dutch  gentleman  resided  there.  He 
was  answered  in  the  negative,  and  my  letter 
was  lodged  in  a  small  letter -office,  always  an 
appendage  to  a  large  hotel.  The  very  evening 
it  was  brought  to  me,  we  left  Paris. 

"Wo  now  returned  to  London.  I  was  soon 
sent  for  by  George  Rose,  who  was  one  of  Pitt's 
secretaries.  He  inquired  if  I  had  contracted 
with  France?  I  told  him,  'No!  I  did  not 
come  to  make  any  contract!     Propositions  were 


if 


222 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-^>  ESTERN    COAST. 


the  chief  mate,  Avho  stand  no  watch,  but  arc  up  at  any  time  of  niglit,  if  occasion 
require,  and  tlirougliout  the  day.  The  two  watches  arc  designated  as  the  starboard 
and  port,  tlic  second  mate  being  officer  of  the  starboard,  and  tiie  tiiird  mate  of  the 
port  watch.  There  being  four  boats,  there  are  as  many  mates,  or  "boat- headers," 
one  of  which  has  charge,  or,  as  it  is  termed,  heads  eacli  boat,  except  when  the 
captain  chooses  to  go  in  his  own  boat,  which  is  tlie  starboard  one  ;  at  such  time, 
tlie  fourth  mate  acts  as  boat-stcerer.  The  cliief  mate's  is  tlie  port  boat,  the  second 
mate's  tlie  waist  boat,  and  tlie  third  mate's  the  bow  boat.  All  the  boats  are  sus- 
pended from  tall,  stout  wooden  davits,  with  two  cranes  under  each  for  the  keel  to 
rest  upon  ;  the  last  mentioned  three  usually  hoist  on  the  port  side  of  the  ship,  and 
the  captain's  on  the  opposite  quarter.  Besides  the  boat- header,  there  is  a  boat- 
stcerer  and  four  men,  who  complete  the  crew.  The  boat-stoerers  are  shipped  as 
such  ;  but  the  men  for  each  boat  are  selected  from  the  hands,  having  duo  regard 
to    their    physical    strength,   activity,    and    intelligence,   and    the    remainder    of   the 


the  extent  of  my  business.'  'You  then  are  at 
liberty  to  ajjree  vrith  us,  and  I  am  authorized 
by  Mr.  Pitt  to  tell  you,  that  you  may  make 
your  own  terms!'  I  told  him  it  was  too  late! 
'  I  made  very  moderate  proposals  to  you,  but 
could  not  obtain  anythinfj;  worth  my  notice.  I 
went  to  France,  and  sent  forward  my  proposals, 
which  were  doubly  advantageous  to  us,  com- 
pared with  what  I  offered  yo\u'  government. 
They  considered  them  a  veiy  short  time,  and 
on  my  arrival  in  Paris,  were  ready  to  act.  I 
had  separate  interviews  with  all  the  Ministers 
of  State  necessary  to  the  subject,  who  all  agreed 
to,  and  granted  my  demands.'  He  still  insisted 
that  I  was  not  bound  to  France,  ond  I  should 
malio  my  own  terms.  But  all  in  vain;  the  time 
had  passed  over !  Lord  Litchfield  also  sent  for 
mo  on  the  same  subject,  but  was  soon  convinced 
that  it  was  too  late.     The  minority  caiuo  to  mo 

ir  materials  to  attack  Lord  Hawkesbury,  but  I 

'fused  to  supply  them." 

It  was  at  one  of  these  interviews  that  Mr. 
i  't,  or  his  majesty  George  III,  asked  Mr.  Rotch 
wliat  equivalent  would  bo  given  in  return  for  all 
these  favors  now  sought  from  his  government. 
"I   am  going  to  give  England  and  bia  majesty 


the  services  of  our  young  men  from  my  native 
place — the  island  of  Nantucket."  And  fullj*  was 
this  assertion  verified  in  subsequent  j'oars.  Nan- 
tucket-mcn  went  to  England,  and  her  great  su- 
premacy in  whaling  was  carried  forward  by  these 
promised  whalers ;  and  for  years  she  held  sway 
through  all  difficulties  in  this  branch  of  commerce 
in  Europe.  The  island  was  well  represented  in 
London  bj*  more  than  five  hundred  ship -masters, 
the  hist  of  whom  (Win.  Swain,  Esq.)  died  in  18G8, 
upwards  of  ninety -two  years  of  f.ge. 

Mr.  Eotch's  son  Bonjaniiu  was  left  in  Dunkirk 
as  a  partner  of  his  son-in-law,  Samuel  Rodman, 
who  resided  at  Nantucket.  Ships  were  soon  aft- 
er fitted  out  from  Nantucket,  on  distant  whaling 
voyages,  manned  and  officered  by  Nantucket-men, 
who,  after  filling  their  vessels,  repaired  to  Dun- 
kirk, where  their  oil  and  whalebone  fouml  a 
ready  market  for  Franco  and  Holland.  The  busi- 
ness was  pursued  wilh  great  energy  by  Mr.  llotch 
and  ills  associates.  All  their  ships  cnme  from 
America  with  the  necessary  outfits  for  their  voy- 
ages, as  they  could  not  bo  easily  obtained  in 
France.  Many  arti.sans  immediately  connected 
with  the  business  loft  Nantucket  witli  their  fami- 
lies to  take  up  their  residence  in  Dunkirk. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE- FISEESY. 


223 


company  are  termed  "ship -keepers."  Due  care  is  taken,  as  far  as  practicable, 
that  two  boats'  crows  sliall  bo  in  the  same  watch,  so  that  in  the  event  of  mooting 
with  whales  on  the  passage  to  the  cruising -grounds,  they  may  be  immediately 
lowered  in  pursuit.  But  usually  a  few  days  pass,  after  getting  to  sea,  before  a 
perfect  organization  of  all  hands  can  be  obtained ;  for  a  portion  of  them  being 
green,  are  generally  so  debilitated  or  entirely  prostrated  by  sea-sickness,  and  a 
majority  of  the  old  sailors  so  demoralized  by  their  last  excessive  potations  of  "part- 
ing drinks,"  that  little  can  bo  accomplished  under  such  circumstances.  But  it  is 
not  long  before  Jack  gets  a  sufficiency  of  substantial  food,  instead  of  being  soaked 
with  the  vile  stimulants  of  a  sailor  boarding-house,  and  the  work  of  "fitting  ship" 
for  whaling  begins  in  good  earnest.  The  hold  is  "broken  out,"  and  casks  contain- 
ing linos,  cutting- gear,  harpoons,  lances,  etc.,  are  unhoaded,  and  their  contents  laid 
under  contribution  as  may  be  required.  The  cutting -gear,  which  consists  of  heavy 
tackles,  pendants,  etc.,  is  to  be  overhauled  or  fitted  anew,  and  the  implements 
belonging  to  the  try-works  must  be  looked  after;  but  the  first  and  most  important 
duty  is  the  proper  fitting  of  the  boats.  It  may  bo  a  mat^^er  of  surprise,  even  to 
an  old  whaleman,  when  he  sees  before  him  the  number  of  things  required  to  fit 
out  a  modern  whale-boat,  which  is  only  twenty -eight  or  thirty  feet  in  length,  and 


Mr.  Rotch  with  his  \nte  and  children  remained 
In  Franco  through  all  the  troublesome  times  of  the 
Revolution  of  1702,  and  sufl'ered  much  in  his  busi- 
ness, wliich  had  become  extensive  in  the  fishery 
and  iu  the  imiwrtation  of  other  oils  into  France. 
Mr.  Eotch  had  seen  that  a  war  between  England 
and  Franco  was  inevitable.  With  these  views,  ho 
began  early  in  1793  to  make  arrangements  for 
leaving  France  and  returning  to  Nantucket.  Go- 
ing over  to  London  on  his  way  home,  he  found 
that  two  of  his  ships  had  already  been  captured 
full  of  oil,  and  condemned  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment as  French  prizes;  but  being  present  with  the 
authorities,  he  was  able  to  recover  them  again 
through  his  English  friends.  "My  going  to 
Franco,"  said  he,  "to  inirsuo  the  whale -fishe/y, 
so  disappointed  Lord  Hnwkcsbury  that  ho  under- 
took to  bo  avenged  upon  mo  for  his  own  follies; 
and,  I  have  no  doubt,  gave  directions  to  his  cruis- 
ers to  take  any  of  my  ships  that  they  might  meet 
going  to  Franco.     For,   when  the   ship   Ospratj 


was  captured  by  the  king's  ship,  the  officer  sent 
on  board  to  examine  her  papers,  said  to  the  cap- 
tain; 'You  will  take  this  vessel  iu,  sir;  she  be- 
longs to  Mr.  Rotch.'" 

Mr.  Rotch,  with  many  other  Americans,  em- 
barked secretly  from  Dunkirk  in  a  ship  bound  for 
America,  but  he  and  his  family  were  landed  in 
England,  where,  he  remarked,  "  I  had  the  comfort 
of  receiving  these  ships  of  mine  four  months  after 
I  left  France." 

On  the  24th  of  July,  1794,  Mr.  Rotch,  with  his 
family,  embarked  in  the  ship  liarkiay,  and  after 
a  passage  of  sixty -one  days,  arrived  at  Boston. 
They  soon  proceeded  to  Nantucket,  whore  they 
remained  one  year,  after  which  they  removed  to 
New  Bedford.  Hero  ho  died  May  28th,  1828. 
Through  a  long  and  eventful  life  of  usefulness, 
ho  was  greatly  beloved  and  respected,  and  was 
di'oply  lamented  when  ho  departed  for  the  spir- 
itual world,  at  the  advanced  oge  of  ninety -four 
yeara. 


k.  I. 

V,)- 


224  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

six  foot  wide.  It  is  sharp  at  both  ends,  with  flaring  sides,  and  is  of  a  model  that 
insures  groat  smftnoss,  as  well  as  the  qualities  of  an  excellent  sea -boat.  At  the 
bow  (or  ''head,"  as  whalers  usually  term  it)  is  a  groove,  in  which  is  placed  a 
metal  sheave,  over  which  tiio  line  runs ;  near  the  end  and  upper  edges  of  the 
groove,  a  slender  pin,  of  tough  wood  or  whalebone,  passes  across  through  holes 
above  the  lino,  to  prevent  it  from  fl>"ing  out  when  running.  This  groove  is  called 
the  "chocks."  About  three  feet  from  the  stern  is  the  " clumsy -clcet,"  a  stout 
thwart  with  a  rounded  notch  on  the  after  side,  in  which  the  officer  or  boat-steerer 
braces  himself  by  one  leg  against  the  violent  motion  of  the  boat,  caused  by  a 
rough  sea,  or  the  efforts  of  the  whale  while  being  "worked  upon."  The  space 
between  the  clumsy -cleet  and  the  chocks  is  covered  witli  a  sort  of  deck,  six  inches 
below  the  gunwales,  and  is  called  the  "box,"  or  "box  of  the  boat."  Five  thwarts, 
or  seats,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  rowers,  are  placed  at  proper  distances  apart, 
between  the  clumsy -cleet  and  stern  sheets;  and  opposite  each  rowlock,  near  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  is  a  well -fastened  cleet,  to  receive  the  end  or  handle  of  the 
oar,  which  is  called  a  " peak- cleet ;"  and  when  fast  to  a  whale,  or  when  the  crew 
are  resting,  the  end  of  the  oar  is  placed  in  the  hole  of  this  cleet,  while  the 
heavy  portion  still  rests  in  the  rowlock,  thereby  elevating  the  blade  far  above  the 
water.  About  four  feet  of  the  stern  is  decked  over,  through  the  forward  part  of 
which,  a  little  to  one  side,  is  placed  the  loggerhead,  shaped  like  a  post  with  a 
largo  head,  which  projects  six  or  eight  inches  above  the  gunwales,  and  by  this  log- 
gerhead the  lino  is  controlled  when  the  boat  is  fiist  to  the  object  of  pursuit.  The 
equipment  belonging  to  a  modern  whale-boat  consists  of  one  mast  and  yard,  or 
sprit,  one  to  three  sails  (but  usually  a  jib  and  mainsail),  five  pulling- oars,  one 
steering -oar,  five  paddles,  five  rowlocks,  five  harpoons,  one  or  two  line -tubs  (into 
which  the  lino  is  coiled),  three  hand-lanccs,  three  short-warps,  one  boat-spado, 
tlu-eo  lance -warps,  one  boat -warp,  one  boat -hatchet,  two  boat -knives,  one  boat -waif, 
one  boat  -  compass,  one  boat-hook,  one  drag,  one  grapnel,  one  boat- anchor,*  one 
sweeping -line,  lead,  buoy,  etc.,  one  boat -keg,  one  boat -bucket,  one  piggin,  one 
lantern -keg  (containing  flint,  steel,  box  of  tinder,  lantern,  candles,  broad,  tobacco, 
and  pipes),  one  boat-crotch,  one   tub-oar  crotch,  half  a   dozen  chock -pins,  a  roll 

*  Tbo  full  equipment  ns  hero  enumerated,  is  tho  bays  or  lagoons,  the  anchor  is  indispensable, 

modified  to  suit  tho  particular  branch  of  whaling  and  tho  grapnel,  sweeping-line,  lend,  and  buoy, 

l)ursued,   as   for   instance,   in    deep-sea  whaling  aro  of   much    service.      But  many  other  articles 

there  is   no  use  for  tho  anchor,   and  in  sperm  aro  left  out  or  supplied  to  a  limited  extent,  so 

whaling  tho  sweeping -lino,  buoy,   etc.,  aro  not  that  tho  boat  may  be  as  light  as  possible,  and 

leciuired;  whilo    in   California  Gray  whaling  in  work  easily  and  quickly  in  shallow  water. 


M 


1,  nar,2  Boat-waif.3,Soat-honk.  4Padd!e,  5,Boat-sails,  6.  Sweeping  line - 
buo/  ZLead  let  Sweepm^-line.S  Chock-pm.S  Snort-warp.  10.Boat-pi^§ir., 
11  Boat-keiie, lantern-key.  13.SweepiTi§  line.  14.Boathalchei,lf).Lanr,e-waTp.3( 

le.Boat^rapnfiUZ  Roal-knifelS.Fo^-hnTn.lS  I.metul].  2Q,Boat-l)ucket,aDr4 
2S;.Nipper,  2S Boat-crotch, 24 Baatcompa3,s  25,Boat-anchnr.26,Rnw-lock,27.Tub- 
uar  crotch, 28.Hand-lance. 29.  Dne-nued-harpcGn  30.To6§le-harpoon.3l  Boat  spade, 
'S7.  A  33  GreeruirsGim-harpoon,  34,  Greener's  Harpoon-^ari.,35,Bonib-l;i:ir.--; 

36.  Bnn-ib-i£i.i.i;.:  (juri 


C  W.ScamtTiOTi.clel. 


IMPI/KMEN'I'b    BKl.nNOlNG    TO   A.  WHAl.E     BQA'J' 


29 


f 


r-t-r    J}<'-H'CA.^     '■IIAJF   liSUKHY 


0) 


fii  canv.i-   p.    {K'jK'    {><'  !:!■   . -.   f,v.'    Mijip'r:=.   i  •   ^au;,';    may  bo    :(!.I'>!l  .:   lu.n-.b-f^i.j    unl 

.'"ur  bt'iiii'- Kit'  (•>■' ;  i'.  ;i'l    •  ■''ty  • ''ijiit  f«r« 'cilfr-;  aivl  rU    ^u-i     -v.iiM'- tw,  -  .J)1i'.''!m.    '  Tii  • 

.,..:-.    -i>i^      mid   jwddi'-,   -•!    •••<ur!»i%  :  re    I..:    pr'ipi'l    rh>     l.^^.it    r>:'    \v.'    im;m    ^■;ly   I'-.c,   Uh' 

!-.*  '.'I..' 1      fnUoiu^J  ii"''   ••''   II' ii-L  )i  (no   I'Dfx.rtaijit    n.-v.-  'tiUi   lijnncrlr.   '-y   rii^-vi  o; 

■M-4  iii  .:.?>:  fir(t}»er  pliu.,:s  .v]ii.'u  lopLiifi  :  }:..•  u-iq;i><  u-  wit];,  iin  lijn,  !U"  t!i.  ...^■^n 
■,•!»!(•  «!•. -l  fo  *}.v}U'i\  til'  )i  a'  t"  )'i-\lia)'':  tin-  )ir;<-t'u»  h -Ufi  tac  liii";  i 'r.-  liVir;''- 
Jrji4j.v>  nil  u-cJ  '11  kilii:*,:;  ''i'^  .vh;ue  jiflt  r  \"  ):\.:  hv.\\  \  <i[  .  ',\,'  iiui-f- ■  v.uji.  -ivlii^' 
•■'i">;iMi>ct;  I'i  0  r{io  !:iaof'-p')I  .  .r-  iiiiiMici'  \  *ii''  i  lin, -v-  ».  .m  l.  iii'i'vi'ii''  'I,-j  lo-^  <,\ '  !> 
.l,(i'ciJ  -U  !!:!•  W'lud-- ,  ;li  ■  '-••!:  \v;..()  I;.  Ihi  jt<ii::t.  r  '>  'la  'I'Jul:  il.o  sh'  rl  -  ^^iU  pf 
!u'"  ',;)    •.  nr^'/f    ih>.>  M'v  iM.'    :i.'fjr.(iii  t'-   \>.,.    iiiuii   iiii','  •"•Ih-n         •,',:nr.<l    inui  )-   I/mowh 


tliO    111.'    ji«lll/H. 


.,..1  -  I  -.v;.'  '•,      1    :)■■     '•■'(■      <  ii  :!■    >•.  ■. 


i.  ('  ,,'  I 


•■•-■     .■ii'i     111  •    \v\\.  ■■     '  1  ',  :  .:  !  .     .1 , 
t  ji  '    in);:i     ];aii  i.'  !     r,!  ■       !•:  ;i      i  ■   ' 


I       .1 


iisvi     >  K'"  -.[i^.  ,      'if.      ';.>,)!        .',  !l''ii     I.-I 


.■-'•. 


il.ti'f. .'     Ill    :i    i'''\,  1    V.'li  I  ii 


■>       l!'!lC. 


fi'     fi!"    ^], :■'■:' 


,',. 


Hi;     -,1  i  ilf      !  V,;l   (I     !   n'  •        V-  :. 
(■>  'i^i:^!!  /     I"     Is,'!-!,       q       '     uhili:!    !;;■      M  f  i  ;'     i,; 

..'1     ill''     .!•  ij.  t  -  '   (.''      t.,lS:'-     !  -.     '.ISCU'      ii>      ',':.'i      '  iil'      '1       ■,        ,!■ 

I       *.><     .:••!'!•      I'lir.      Xh:'    l)>.;it.        The      •>ll-,i^'    i'i    >'•)■    ■    .>i:;m     h(r      ' 

.-•    :^     ,.    ■.,«•,  -  •   '...ii      '■\,-h 

:  ■     :•"'      Jill      I.-  ■  '     '  '.■     Jl'  t,!i  I  '     Ml. 

IIL'      'i   >l'!lUi:      1!>      I  ■     '••V,\'       I         -r:!) 

I 


i  <)■  '  ■  I'. 


.;;.>]    I'l.-  .  .'\  rni) 


II 


I  ;;i:!     -•'    -.1,.!  .■,»'..    I.,    i:,  „           .,       ,r.  ;  ,.     - 

:l    -n\i\'\^    HUpi-i       !■■■   IV,  ,  I.    V'  :\  ,. 

'i  ill'  !    -.1  •  ■  -'.  i     1    i-   i.i   ;■!,   '  i       v\      '    .i: 

Ui!ii',,,''.    -  r   I"       i(    ■  ^-i--  ;  ■'■  M  •  ■    -'i;          ■  . 

•/ii.     f  :     '       ti\y     1  .    ;>!>■!•;>■■■     'i.  ';  -,       ,  -         '"   . 


i.i'    ti,  ■^■-   .'l..!  in      ii    !.,'    1 !      \\  !i,i'i 

If  I        'i  ■       '.Ms':  ^'';  ■!■    <" 

.   ,  1   .     '     •     ■     .V     .V                .     ,-, 

'.■:  '        .llltrr:        ■!  :.'  :     <■;■<■•  ',.  It; 

.        \1<  ■■K!  ■.      !;.  i;       'i.      •  !    '-  '    .'    Sni. 

,   ■ '       '■     '^i:  .Ti;  ^    If    I  ••  -[y     :■     !.iv 

.      '..'ill..,     ,      .(■    ;l     .'!),  :  .■    (■■(     I    j.ljic 

.  iU^  '    ji'ii"    'ii  :   !l     '.;[>-!  ui  .v  iiul' 

V     rrot'li    .s    t  .    ii'roi\.     1  ill'    tl;'.'  • 
!,i,i-;     .(   u   vvhnic  ;    I'.r  1  I'.'W 


I'M. 


.Uc  t;'M     ■.  iH.'.s   :i    .*   '.vv.:.;>' 


r  1 


'f'jKv 


Fuifixcrv 


^ 


"•<*«.|-' 


''-^i  sj|H»*s«'-47A'itr"'f'"'^ ' 


\ii>if 


'^«.     '; 


-i 


in 


:?  c-  nc}.  J!S  ii..;' : 


f  Al.;;  ;a)r.  -i.c/.-i.oi!^ 


*         ,1 


.-.h 


**■ 


»;* 


.5 


,:i|    < 


IMi'hllHKh' b    BFT,f,HlSfi*K   TO  A,  "WHAJK    '    :AT 


a 


iiik  fi>ilii-\  hfttf.S.f 


THE    AMERICAN    WUALE-FISUEItY.  226 

of  canvas,  a  paper  of  tacks,  two  nippers,  to  wliicli  may  be  added  a  bomb -gun  and 
four  bomb -lances ;  in  all,  forty-eight  articles,  and  at  least  eighty-two  pieces.  The 
oars,  sails,  and  paddles,  of  course,  are  to  propel  the  boat,  yet  we  may  say  that  the 
two  last  mentioned  are  of  much  more  importance  now  tlum  formerly,  by  reason  of 
the  objects  of  pursuit  becoming  more  wary.  The  rowlocks  confine  and  support  the 
oars  in  their  proper  places  when  rowing;  the  harjjoorLs  with  the  line  are  the  instru- 
ments used  to  fasten  the  boat  to  tiie  whale;  the  line -tub  holds  the  lino;  the  hand- 
lances  arc  used  in  killing  the  whale  after  being  hai-pooned  ;  the  lance-warp,  when 
connected  to  the  lance- pole,  is  hitched  to  the  cluuisy-cleet  to  prevent  its  loss  wiicn 
darted  at  the  whale;  the  boat-warp  is  the  painter  to  the  boat;  the  short-warps 
are  to  connect  the  second  hnrpoon  to  the  main  line  when  a  second  iron  is  thrown 
into  the  animal;  the  boat-spade  is  for  cutting  the  cords  about  the  "small"  of  the 
victim,  or  that  portion  of  the  body  which  connects  with  the  flukes,  crippling  it, 
thereby  retarding  its  progress  through  the  water;  the  boat-liatchet  and  knives  are 
to  cut  the  line  should  it  get  foul  and  endanger  the  boat,  when  fast ;  the  boat- 
waif  if?  a  small  flag,  used  as  a  signal,  or  placed  in  a  dead  whale  to  indicate  its 
whereabouts.  The  boat-hook  is  one  of  those  indispensable  implements,  wiiich  is 
put  to  a  variety  of  uses,  but  especially  to  liook  up  a  whale's  fin  or  stray  lines,  or 
to  hold  the  boat  in  position;  and  the  boat -compass  is  used  to  find  the  true  course 
to  any  object  not  visible  from  the  boat.  The  ''drag"  is  for  "bending  on"  to  the 
line  to  assist  in  impeding  the  whale  when  running,  or  is  itvstened  to  the  line  when 
compelled  to  let  it  go  from  the  boat.  With  the  grapnel,  the  dead  animal's  flukes, 
or  its  head,  are  hauled  up,  in  order  to  cut  a  hole  and  reeve  the  tow-rope,  or  to 
hook  up  lines  which  can  not  be  reached  with  the  boat-hook;  and  the  sweeping- 
line,  lead,  and  buoy,  are  used  for  getting  the  fin  and  fluke  chains  on  to  the  whale 
when  alongside  the  ship,  or  otherwise.  The  boat -keg  is  for  carrj'ing  a  supply 
of  fresh  water.  The  boat -bucket  and  piggin  are  for  bailing  the  boat.  The  lantern- 
keg  is  for  holding  in  reserve  a  small  supply  of  broad,  a  lantern,  and  fire -works, 
in  case  the  boat  should  be  caugiit  out  at  night,  that  the  crew  may  be  able  to  set 
a  light  to  indicate  to  the  ship  their  whereabouts,  and  in  extreme  necessity  to  have 
a  small  supply  of  food,  with  the  luxury  of  a  quid  of  tobacco  or  a  smoke  of  a  pipe. 
The  boat-crotch  is  to  rest  the  end  of  the  iron  or  lance-pole  on;  it  ships  in  a  hole 
through  or  on  the  side  of  the  gunwale.  The  tub -oar  crotch  is  to  receive  the  tub- 
oar  and  raise  it  above  the  line -tub,  when  the  boat  is  fast  to  a  whale;  the  chock- 
pins  are  to  keep  the  whale -line  in  the  chock.  The  canvas  and  tacks  are  to  cover 
holes  Avhich  may  be  staved  in  the  boat ;  the  nippers  are  several  luvors  of  canvas 
stitched  together,  and  are   used  for  holding  on  to  the  line  when  it  is  swiftly  run- 

ItUtlNE  MaMIUI.3.  —  29. 


Mf 


226 


MAIIINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


M 


ning  out.  The  bomb -gun  sind  lances  are  for  killing  the  whale  at  a  greater  distance 
than  could  be  done  with  the  hand -lance;  it  does  good  execution  within  a  range 
of  twenty-five  yards.  Greener's  harpoon -gun  is  also  used  b}'  whalers  to  some 
extent,  and  quite  successfully  when  the  sea  is  smooth.  It  is  similar  to  a  small 
swivel -gun.  The  barrel  is  three  feet  long,  with  a  bore  of  one  inch  and  a  half; 
when  stocked  and  complete,  it  weighs  ''event}' -five  pounds.  The  harpoon,  four  and 
a  half  feet  long,  is  projected  with  considerable  accuracy  to  any  distance  under 
eighty -four  yards.  It  is  mounted  on  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  was  formerly  fired 
by  the  boat-steerer,  who  pulls  the  "harpooner  oar."  This  was  the  old  Scotch 
plan,  the  gun  being  first  used  by  the  Scotch  whalers ;  but  at  the  present  time  it 
is  more  successfully  managed  by  the  ofliccr  m  charge  of  the  boat,  who  takes  the 
boat-steerer's  pLace  for  the  time  being. 

The  whale-boat  being  properly  equipped,  the  crew  take  their  places  as  follows: 
the  officer  in  charge  (or  boat- header)  in  the  stern,  who  steers  the  boat  with  the 
sleering-oar,  which  is  usually  twenty-two  feet  long;  the  boat-steerer,  who  pulls  the 
oar  farthest  forward,  which  is  called  the  liarpooncr-oar,  its  length  being  usually 
seventeen  feet,  and  who  also  darts  the  harpoon,  and  after  the  boat  is  fast  changes 
ends  with  the  boat -header  and  steers  the  boat,  while  the  latter  attends  to  killing 
the  whale.  The  next  man  is  called  the  "bowman,"  with  an  oar  seventeen  and  a 
half  feet  in  length,  and  besides  his  general  duties  he  attends  to  the  line  when 
"bowing- on."  The  next  man  is  the  "midship -oarsman,"  .vhose  oar  is  eighteen 
feet  in  length;  then  comes  the  "tub -oarsman, "  with  an  oar  the  same  length  as 
that  of  the  bowman,  whose  special  duty  is  to  see  that  tlio  line  runs  clear  from  the 
tub  The  last  is  the  "after -oarsman,"  who  is  the  lightest  of  the  crew,  and  pulls 
a  correspondingly  liglit  oar ;  his  particular  duties  arc  to  attend  the  line  as  it  is 
hauled  in  and  coiled  in  the  stern -sheets,  or  when  it  is  "paid  out,"  and  to  bail  the 
boat.  The  whole  outfit  of  the  boat  has  two  general  and  rather  indefinite  names, 
"bat-gear"  and  "cruft;"  but  the  word  "cn\ft"  applies  pai'ticularly  to  the  weapons 
immediately  used  in  the  capture. 

When  the  boat  is  lowered  for  the  chase,  the  line  (which  is  nicely  coiled  in 
tlie  tub  or  tubs,  as  the  case  may  be)  is  placed  between  the  two  after  thwarts. 
Tlic  men  being  seated  in  their  proper  places,  the  line  from  the  tub  is  taken  aft 
around  the  loggerhead,  then  forward  over  the  oars,  and  a  few  fathoms  of  it  i\.o 
coiled  in  the  box  of  the  boat;  it  is  then  termed  a  "box -warp."  Two  harpoons 
are  placed  at  tlio  head  of  the  boa^,  the  staves  or  poles  of  which  rest  in  the  "boat- 
crotch."  The  end  of  the  box- warp  is  made  fast  to  the  "first  iron;"  the  "second 
iron"  is  connected  with  the  main  lino  by  a  bowline  in  the  cud  of  a  short -warp 


THE    A  ME  It  ICA  N    WHA  L  E  -  FKUIEU  Y. 


22^ 


which  is  bent  on  to  the  second  iron.  The  lances 
arc  in  their  places  at  the  head  of  the  boat,  on  the 
starboard  side;  the  boat- spado  on  the  side  opposite; 
the  boat- hatchet  and  a  knife  in  tlieir  proper  places 
in  the  head  of  the  boat,  and  the  other  knife  ready 
at  the  stern. 

When  pursuit  is  made,  the  whale  is  approached 
in  the  most  cautious  manner,  to  avoid  "gallying" 
it.  If  necessary,  the  oars  are  used  ;  but  in  calm 
wcatlier  the  paddles  are  resorted  to,  as  pulling  v/ith 
the  oars  is  adopted  only  when  sails  or  paddles  can 
not  be  made  available.  When  nearly  within  dart- 
ing distance,  which  is  about  three  fathoms,  the 
order  is  given  to  the  boat-stecrer  to  "stand  up." 
At  this  command  he  instantly  springs  to  his  feet, 
and  seizing  the  hurpoon,  darts  it  into  the  whale ; 
if  opportunity  ofTers,  the  second  iron  is  also  thrown 
before  the  animal  gets  out  of  reach.  When  the 
harpot)ns  are  dart'jd.  word  is  given  to  "stern  all,' 
and  the  oarsmen  make  every  edbrt  to  force  the 
boat  astern,  in  order  t.o  be  well  clear  of  the  animal 
in  its  painful  convulsions  from  the  first  wounds  re- 
ceived. Xotwithslanding  every  precaution  is  taken, 
it  is  by  no  means  an  unusual  occurrence  to  have 
the  boat  itaved  by  the  whale  when  harpooned. 
Should  the  boat  l)o  nuich  injured,  the  line  is  cut, 
or  a  dra-  or  buoy  is  bent  on  to  the  end  of  it,  and 
nil  is  lot  s:;o.  The  boat  nearest  tlu^  whale  usually 
continues  the  piu-suit  ;  the  next  boat  pulls  for  the 
one  that  has  become  disabled,  and  rescues  the 
crew. 

When  struck,  the  whale  nniy  attempt  to  escape 
by  running;  if  so,  every  exertion  is  made  by  the 
boats'  crew  to  haul  up  to  the  auinial  so  as  lo  shoot 
n  bomb  into  it,  or  work  upon  it  with  a  haiid-lance  ; 
or  if  the  creature  descends  to  the  depths  below, 
wliioh  is  called  "sounding,"  every  effort  is  made  to 


228 


MARJAE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


check  the  movement  by  holding  on  to  the  line,  or  by  slowly  slacking  it.  In  this 
m.aneuvre  the  boivt  is  occasionally  hauled  bow  under  water.  Sometimes  all  the  line 
is  talcen  out  almort  instantly,  when  it  is  cut  to  prevent  the  boat  from  being  taken 
down,  and  the  whtilc  escapes.  At  other  times  the  animal  Avill  "bring  to;"  that  is, 
it  will  stop  and  roll  from  side  to  side,  or  thrash  the  water  with  its  ponderous 
flukes  and  fins,  when  the  boat  may  be  pulled  withiu  bomb -shot,  and  the  creature 
dispatched  by  one  or  more  of  these  missiles. 

Hand -lancing  for  the  purpose  of  killing  a  whale  is  now  going  rapidly  out 
of  practice,  and  the  same  may  be  said  relative  to  boat- spades,  and  "loose  irons" 
to  stop  a  whale  from  running.  By  the  use  of  "Pierce's  bomb -lance,"'"  the  Bow- 
head  or  Polar  Whale  is  now  frequently  captured  in   tl  c  Arctic   Ocean,  close  to  the 


*  It  is  a  m.atter  of  surprise  that  so  ingenious 
an  invention  for  killing  whales  has  no  appropri- 
ate nanifi,  the  whole  apparatus  being  only  known 
as  "Pierce's  bomb-lnnco;"  hence,  to  facilitate 
description,  we  will  give  it  the  provisional  des- 
ignation of  Pierce'^  Hni-poon-bomb-lanco  Gun. 
The  weapon,  wi.ich  is  of  brass,  is  fourteen  inches 
long  in  the  barrel,  r.nd  tlie  square  portion  in- 
closing the  lock,  together  with  the  socket  which 
receives  the  iron -pole  or  harpoon  -  statl',  increases 
its  linear  dimensions  to  about  one  and  a  half 
feet.  On  one  side,  and  near  the  muzzle  of  the 
gun,  are  two  lugs  with  holes,  which  receive  the 
end  of  a  harpoon,  to  which  the  whale -lino  is 
attached.  On  the  other  side  is  a  steel  rod  bent 
in  the  form  of  a  staple,  at  the  socket  end  of 
tlv"  gun,  which  passes  through  tubes  attached 
to  the  socket  and  lock -case,  as  represented  at 
G  and  H  ( in  the  ilhistration  upon  the  preceding 
page),  then,  passing  through  a  hole  in  the 
lug  at  I,  it  extends  past  the  muzzle  about  ten 
inches.  Upon  the  upper  part  of  the  rod,  at  J, 
rests  the  trigger  to  the  lock.  The  whole  appa- 
ratus, exclusive  of  the  lines  and  iron  -  jmle, 
weighs  about  ton  pounds.  This  wc^apon  is  load- 
ed with  n  light  chaige  of  powder,  and  projects, 
■when  discharged,  a  bonib-lanco  sixteen  inches 
long,  and  seven -eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  lance  is  loaded  with  powder,  which  is  ig- 
nited by  a  percussion  -  cap  placed  upon  a  nipple 


at  B,  as  seen  ni  diagram  B,  at  the  end  of  the 
cylinder  ( which  's  connected  rvith  the  point  of 
the  lance  by  a  screw),  Ihi.,  nipple  (at  B)  <mites 
with  a  time -fuse  that  leads  to  the  powder  with 
which  the  bomb  is  charged.  One  end  of  a  small 
line  is  "seized"  to  the  socket  of  the  gun,  then 
"stopped"  along  the  iron-polo  with  twine  — the 
other  end  being  fast  to  the  boat,  in  order  that 
the  instrument  may  be  recovered  after  being 
thrown  and  discharged.  The  whale -line  is  also 
stopped  along  the  polo,  or  it  is  secured  by 
bockets.  The  manner  of  using  the  gun,  is  to 
dart  it  l)y  hand  from  the  boat,  and  when  tho 
h,  ■•<)oon  penetrates  the  whale  beyond  the  lino 
F,  the  steel  rod  (which  holds  tho  trigger  to  tho 
lock)  comes  in  contact,  and  is  pushed  back, 
thereby  springing  tho  hammer  against  a  percus- 
sion-cap which  rests  upon  a  nipple  in  tho  breech 
of  tho  gun,  by  means  of  which  it  is  tired  off, 
SI  nding  tho  bond)-lanee  into  tho  whalo  ;  and  at 
the  same  time  tho  concussion  brings  a  plunger 
(which  is  held  temporarily  by  a  wooden  pin 
wit)Ain  tho  head  of  the  lance,  as  seen  at  A) 
upon  the  cop  at  U,  the  flash  of  which,  commu- 
nicating with  tho  time  -  fuse  irabeddod  in  the 
powder  contained  in  the  cylinder,  causes  tho 
bomb  to  explode,  usually  killing  tho  whale  ir 
Btantly;  and  tho  harpoon  being  already  fastont' 
in  tho  body  of  the  animal,  it  may  be  easily 
secirrcd. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  229 

icy  barrier,  as  that  weapon  shoots  an  explosive  misfsile  into  the  animal  at  the  same 
time  the  harpoon  is  fastened. 

Mention  has  been  made  in  the  preceding  pages  of  the  manner  of  standing 
watches,  and  the  general  routine  of  duty  on  board  the  ship  when  making  a  passage  ; 
but  it  is  only  when  they  arrive  on  the  cruising -ground  that  systematic  whaling 
really  begins.  The  ship's  company,  or  that  portion  of  it  who  "stand  a  watch,"  is 
divided  into  what  are  called  "boat's-crew  watches,"  each  watch  remaining  on  deck 
its  allotted  time  between  dark  and  daylight,  and  during  the  day  one -half  of  the 
ship's  company  alternate  (which  is  called  "watch  and  watch"),  unless  whaling 
is  going  on,  wheu  all  hands  are  engaged.  A  day's  routine  of  a  whale- ship's  duty, 
whew  on  whaling -grou.id,  begins  at  a  very  early  hour.  All  hands  are  called  in 
time  to  get  breakfast  by  sunrise,  after  which  all  required  sail  is  set,  the  decks  are 
washed  off,  and  the  lookouts  are  stationed  at  the  mast-heads.  If  a  four-boat  ship, 
an  rrticcr  and  a  boat-stecrer  stand  at  the  main -topgallant  cross-trees,  two  men  at 
the  fore -topgallant  mast-head,  and  one  at  the  mizzen- topgallant  mast  head,  who  are 
relieved  every  two  hours,  as  also  arc  the  men  at  the  wheel,  who  steer  the  ship. 
Should  no  whales  be  seen  through  the  day,  at  sunset  all  hands  are  called  to  shorten 
sail,  when  the  light  sails  are  furled,  the  mainsail  taken  in,  the  topsails  reefed,  and 
the  watch  is  set  for  the  night.  But  should  wl.alos  bo  "raised,"  the  hours  of  rest 
are  governed  entirely  by  the  amount  of  necessary  work  to  be  performed.  From 
sun  to  sun  the  boats  may  be  engaged  in  the  exciting  chas^' ;  and  the  few  ship- 
keepers  left  on  board  strain  every  muscle  to  work  the  vessel  and  make  the  required 
signals.  This  is  no  easy  matter  when  the  wind  is  fresh  and  the  vessel  is  being 
continually  maieuvercd,  as  the  pursuing  boats  change  their  positions.  An  endless 
variety  of  signals  are  used  in  the  whaling- fleet  in  connection  with  the  capture  of  a 
whale,  more  especially  when  there  is  a  largo  fleet  cruising  on  the  same  ground,  for 
then  the  signals  from  each  ship  are  kept  private,  in  order  to  gain  advantage  in  the 
pursuit. 

The  ship -keeper  in  charge  of  tlu  vessel  may  be  the  captain.  At  present  few 
whaling-masters  make  a  practice  of  '^oing  in  their  boats;  while  formerly  it  was  the 
custom  for  the  captain  to  be  firs';  in  the  water  when  lowering  for  whales.  In 
such  cases,  the  person  left  in  charge  of  the  ship  was  cither  chosen  from  among  the 
crew,  or  he  was  shipped  for  that  particular  duty.  In  any  event,  his  services  are 
important,  for  the  safety  of  the  boats  or  the  capture  of  the  whale  may  depend 
upon  his  vigilance  and  good  management.  The  boats  being  down,  the  object  of 
pursuit  can  bo  seen  but  a  comparatively  short  distance,  while  from  the  ship's 
mast-head  an  oxtcusivo  view  is   obtained  j    hence,  when   the  boats  arc  away,   the 


230 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


person  in  charge  of  the  vessel  takes  liis  station  at  the  main-topgaUant  cross-trees, 
where  a  sharp  watch  is  kept,  both  on  the  whales  and  boats.  When  the  whales  are 
upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  a  flag  is  usually  hoisted  at  the  main -topgallant 
uiast-head;  and  when  they  go  down,  the  flag  is  lowered;  and  to  indicate  their 
bearing  from  the  ship,  ihe  following  signals  are  made  with  the  sails:  "Whales  on 
the  weather  bow,"  weather  clew  of  the  fore-topsail  or  fore-topgallantsail  is  hauled 
up;  "Whales  on  the  lee  bow,"  lee  clews  of  the  same  sails  are  taken  up;  "Whales 
on  the  weather  beam,"  weather  clew  of  main -topsail  or  topgallantsail  up,  and  gen- 
erally with   a  waif*  pointed  to  windward  ;   "Whales  on  the  lee  beam,"  lee  clew  of 


Mast-head  VVaik. 


the  same  sails  up;  "Whales  ahead,"  jib  down;  "Whales  between  the  boats,"  flags 
at  the  fore  and  main  mast-heads;  "Come  on  board,"  flag  at  the  peak;  "Boat 
stove,"  flag  at  the  fore  and  mizzen  mast-heads.  In  sperm-whaling  during  light 
weather,  the  crews  sometimes  go  a  long  distance  from  the  vessel,  at  least  ten  or 
twelve  miles;  but  this  is  not  the  regular  practice.  In  right- whaling,  however,  it 
is  expected  that  the  ship  and  boats  will  keep  near  enough  togetiier  to  communicate 
by  signals,  unless  enveloped  in  fog,  rain,  or  snow,  Avliich  occurs  in  high  latitudes, 
where  this  species  of  baliena  are  chiefly  sought ;  and  the  moment  a  bank  of  fog 
obscures  the  vessel,  the  rule  is  to  "haul  aback,"  if  practicable,  or  in  other  words, 
to  keep  the  ship  as  near  the  same  position  as  possible  where  she  was  last  seen  b" 
the  people  in  tiie  boats  ;  who,  having  previously  taken  the  bearings,  And  their  way 
back  by  the  aid  of  the  compass,  and  the  sounding  of  horns,  or  the  flring  of  guns 
from  the  vessel ;  or,  if  the  boats  are  caught  out  at  night,  lights  are  set,  and  some- 
times a  fire  is  made  on  the  "back  arches"  of  the  try -works,  by  which  means  the 
whole  ship  is  illuminated,  when  every  spar  glistens  in  relief  upon  a  dark,  misty 
background,  with  the  sails  flapping  against  the  masts  as  the  ship  rolls  and  tumbles 
over  the  sea,  or  the  swelling  canvas  yields  to  the  dank  blasts  tiiat  are  sweeping 
by  in  fitful  moaning  sounds,  as  if  to  render  the  scene  more  ghastly.  From  the 
time  a  whale  is  discovered  until  the  capture  is  made,  and  the  animal  cut  in,  the 
scene  is  one  of  laborious  excitement.     If  the  whale  is  first  seen  spouting,  the  man 

♦The  mast-hoad  waif  iH  n  lifjlit  jiolo  six  or      covered  with   canvan ;    it   is  Honietiiueis  cnllod   n 
oight  feet  long,  with  a  hoop  fastened  at  the  end      "yonder"  by  Enf^linh  wlialorK. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


231 


I 


« 

0 


0 


g 

m 
0 


0 

I 


0 


3 


f 


232 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTEltN    COAST. 


on  the  lookout  calls  out,  "There  she  blows;"  if  breaching,  he  calls  out,  "There  she 
breaches;  '  if  turning  flukes,  he  reports,  "There  goes  flukes."  Instantly  the  officer 
of  the  (lock,  or  the  captain,  inquires,  "Where  away?"  when  he  is  immediately 
answered,  "Right  ahead,"  or  "On  the  beam,"  or  "Two  points  on  the  beam,"  oi* 
quarter,  as  the  case  may  be.  Tlie  next  question  is,  "IIow  far  oil'?"  which  is  quickly 
answered.  If  near  by,  should  it  be  calm  weather,  all  hands  are  called,  the  sliip  is 
hauled  aback,  if  noces.sary,  and  the  boats  are  immediately  dropped  into  the  water 
for  the  chase  ;  if  a  long  distance  olf,  and  a  good  breeze  is  blowing,  all  sail  is  sot 
to  reach  the  locality  of  the  object  of  pursuit  before  lowering.  The  capture  being 
made  (should  there  be  a  commanding  breeze),  the  sliip  is  run  alongside  the  whale; 
or  if  it  bo  calm,  the  animal  is  towed  to  the  vessel.  Then  the  fluke -chain  or  flid<e- 
rope    is   fastened    (as   at   A,   in   the   diagram   showing   the  manner  of  cutting- in  the 


I!r.t!IlllER-HOOK    AND    FiN- CHAIN. 


Bowhead  and  Right  Whale),  aiul  is  then  hauled  in  througli  the  fl'':  -(-chain  chock, 
which  is  at  the  bow,  and  well  secured  to  the  sampson-post,  Die  head  of  the  animal 
being  toward  the  stern.  The  cutting- tackles,  which  comprise  two  heavy  purchases, 
arc  then  sent  aloft,  and  shackled  to  chain  or  rope  pendants  at  the  mainmast- 
head,  where  they  are  placed  in  position  by  rope  guys  from  the  foremast- head,  and 
the  falls  of  the  cutting- tackles  are  then  taken  forward  to  the  windlass.  The  cut- 
ting-stage, which  is  so  constructed  as  to  admit  of  the  officers  standing  upon  it 
immediately  over  the  carcass  when  using  the  cutting- spades,  is  put  over  tlie  side 
and  lowered  into  position;  meanwhile,  the  rest  of  the  cutting- gear  is  being  got  in 
readiness,  which  consists  of  toggles,  spades,  boarding  and  leaning  knives,  gaffs, 
pikes,  blubber -hooks,  head-straps,  fin-chain,  throat- toggle,  hoad-axos,  etc.  If  the 
prize  bo  a  Right  Whale,  or   Bowhead,  the   fin-chain   is  put  on  the  fin,  as  at  B  (in 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE- FlSHEllY. 


Mabimi:  MAHUALa,— iOi 


V 


11 


234 


MARINE    MAM3fALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


diagram  of  Bowhead);  one  of  the  cutting- tackles  is  then  hooked  or  shackled  into 
the  ring  at  II ;  the  fall  to  the  tackle  is  then  taken  to  the  windlass  and  hove  taut, 
which  brings  the  whale  fairly  on  its  side;  then,  with  a  cutting- spade,  a  hole  is 
cut  in  the  root  of  the  lip  at  F,  and  a  scarf  is  cut  along  the  lower  jaw-bone  from 
E  to  D.      A  blubber- hook  being  shackled   to  the  second  cutting- tackle,  it  is  over- 


Head-Stkai', 


hauled  down,  and  hooked  into  the  hole  in  the  lip,  and  the  tackle  is  then  hauled 
taut  by  means  of  the  windlass,  and  a  man  with  a  cutting- spade  cuts  the  lip  from 
the  jaw-bone  as  it  is  being  hoisted  up;  and  when  coming  to  the  end  of  the  jaw, 
near  D.  it  is  cut  off  and  hove  in  on  deck.      A  scarf  is  then  cut  through  the  blub- 


TiiROAT- Chain  Toggle. 


Toggle. 


ber,  across  one   side  of  the   head   forward  of  the  eye, 

around    under   the   fin,  and   across   the  body  ;   and    the 

fin    is    then    raised   by   the    first   cutting-tackle,  which 

is   the    starting-point    of   the    first   blanket  -  piece ;    the 

•'knuckle -joint"  being  disconnected  from  the  shoulder- 

l)lade  with   the  "piece"  from  the  body  bj*  cutting  the 

tendons,  which  conne^^t  between  the  flesh  and  the  blubber.     This  is  called  "leaning 

up  ;"    and   when    the   piece   is   hove   up,   so   as   to   bring   the   whale's   back    up,   the 

"head-strap"   is    rove    through   the    spout-holes    between    the    skull-bone    and    the 

blubber,  as  seen  in  the  diagram  at  OG  ;   then  with  an  axe  the  skull  is  cut  through 

to  the  epout-holos,  on  one  side.     This  being  done,  the  blanket-piece  is  raised  still 

higher,  and   the  other  cutting- tackle  is  hooked   to  the  head-strap  and  hove  taut; 

when   the    skull -bone   is    cut  on    the  other    side,   and    the    head  with    the   baleen 

attached    is    hove    up  and    lowered    on    deck.      As    soon    as    the   piece  comes  high 


U. 


•Mil 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE- FISHERY. 


235 


enough  to  fasten  the  tackle  under  the  fin,  the  order  is  given  to  "board,"  which  i.« 
done  in  the  following  manner :  The  second  tackle,  which  took  in  the  head,  now 
being  free  and  again  ready  for  use,  a  boat-steerer  or  officer  cuts  a  hole  in  the 
blanket -piece  well  down  to  the  plank -sheer,  and  through  this  hole  the  strap  of  the 
tackle  is  thrust,  and  a  heavy  wooden  glut,  called  a  toggle,  is  passed  through  the 
thimble  of  the  block -strap  (as  seen  in  the  accompanying  figure),  which  secures  it 
firmly  to  the  blanket-piece  and  completes  the  "board."     Then  the  order  is  given  to 

"take  to  and  heave  away,"  when  the  fall  of  the  tackle  is 
taken  around  the  windlass  and  hauled  taut,  the  men  at 
the  windlass -brakes  heave  upon  the  tackle  until  the  sec- 
ond blanket -piece  is  raised  two  feet  or  more  above  the 
plank -sheer,  and  the  first  is  cut  ofl'  and  lowered  down 
the  m-"  hatch  into  the  blubber- room.  The  second 
blanket -piece  is  then  hove  up,  until  the  whale  again  lies 
on  its  side,  when  the  other  lip  is  taken  in  by  the  same 
process.  The  carcass  is  now  turned  back  down,  by  heav- 
ing up  on  the  piece,  and  in  doing  this,  the  throat -blub- 
ber is  cut  clear  from  that  of  the  trunk  ;  and  with  a 
spade,  a  hole  is  made  through  both  the  throat  and 
tongue,  when  the  throat -chain  toggle  is  inserted 
at  C,  as  seen  in  the  diagram.  The  tackle  being 
hooked  to  the  ring  of  the  chain,  the  throat  is  cut 
from  the  flesh  that  adheres  to  it  as  it  is  drawn  up, 
and  when  hoisted  high  enough,  it  is  lowered  on 
deck,  or  into  the  blubber -room.  Then  the  body, 
blubber  is  cut  in  spiral  folds — as  represented  in 
the  diagram  by  diagonal  lines — and  rolled  off 
down  to  the  dotted  lines  behind  the  vent,  where 
the  whole  flesh  of  the  carcass  is  cut  through ;  and 
the  backbone  being  unjointed,  the  main  portion 
of  the  mutilated  remains  of  the  animal  floats  clear  of  the  ship,  or  it  sinks  to  the 
depths  beneath.  The  residue  of  the  fatty  covering  of  that  portion  of  the  creature 
known  as  tiie  small,  is  soon  stripped.  The  flukes  arc  cut  off  close  to  the  fluke, 
chain,  and  the  chain  hauled  in,  which  completes  the  modus  operandi  of  cutting-in  a 
whalebone  whale.  The  animal  having  been  cut  in,  the  head,  being  on  deck,  is 
next  cleared  away.  This  is  done  by  stripping  the  blubber  from  the  skull -bone; 
then,  with   spades  and   axes,  the  baleen   or  bone  is  cut,  with   the   gum,    from    the 


ClTTINC. -TACKLE  TOGGLED  TO  THE 
lU.ANKKTI'IKCE. 


w^ 


236  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

jaw,  in  sections  of  several  layers,  and  stowed  below,  where  it  remains  until  an 
opportunity  occurs,  in  fine  weather,  to  again  take  it  on  deck,  when  the  slabs  are 
separated  and  the  gum  scraped  off;  after  which  they  are  washed  and  dried,  and 
when  packed  in  bundles,  are  ready  for  market. 

But  the  cutting  -  in  of  a  Sperm  Whale  differs  materially  from  that  of  the 
whalebone  whale,  although  it  would  appear  that  the  latter  was  forced  into  nearly 
every  conceivable  posture,  during  the  systematic  process  of  mutilation  in  order  to 
obtain  its  covering ;  yet,  in  addition,  the  lifeless  form  of  the  Sperm  Whale  is 
made  to  assume  a  nearly  vertical  attitude  during  the  course  of  flensing,  as  it 
was  wont  to  do  when  filled  with  animation.  The  first  procedure  after  the  animal 
is  fastened  co  the  ship  by  the  fluke-chain  and  head -rope,  is  to  cut  a  hole  through 
the  blubber,  between  the  eye  and  fin,  at  A,  as  seen  in  the  accompanying  outline 
sketch  ;  then,  after  cutting  the  scarfs  on  each  side  and  around  the  end  of  the  first 
blanket -piece,  a  blubber- hook,  attached  to  one  of  the  cutting -tackles,  is  inserted 
into  the  hole  at  A,  and  the  piece  raised  by  means  of  the  tackle  until  the  whale  is 
rolled  on  its  side ;  then  the  line  of  separation  between  the  upper  jaw  and  junk  is 
cut,  as  from  L  to  C,  and  if  a  large  whale,  the  line  of  separation  is  cut  between 
the  junk  and  case,  as  from  B  to  E,  and  a  cut  is  made  across  the  root  of  the  case 
from  E  to  F ;  a  scarf  is  also  made  around  the  root  of  the  lower  jaw,  from  near 
the  corner  of  the  mouth  to  G.  A  chain -strap  is  then  put  on  the  jaw  near  H,  and 
hooked  or  shackled  to  the  second  cutting- tackle,  and  raised  by  that  purchase; 
while  the  other  tackle,  attached  to  the  piece,  is  slackened  off  if  need  be,  so  as  to 
let  the  whale  roll  upon  its  back ;  when,  by  means  of  the  tackle  attached,  and  by 
cutting  away  the  tongue  and  the  adiicring  flesh,  the  jaw  is  wrenched  from  its 
socket,  and  placed  on  deck.  This  being  accomplished,  the  first  tackle,  whicli  is 
attached  to  the  piece,  is  hove  up  by  means  of  the  windlass  until  the  whale  is 
rolled  over  to  its  opposite  side,  when  the  lines  of  separation  are  cut  to  correspond 
to  those  made  opposite ;  holes  are  then  morticed  through  the  head  close  to  the 
upper  jaw-bone  near  I,  at  the  end  of  the  junk  near  J,  and  at  the  root  of  the  case 
near  K,  and  through  those  holes  straps  are  rove,  and  lines  are  made  fast  to  those 
of  the  junk  and  case.  The  second  cutting -tackle  is  then  hooked  in  the  strap  which 
is  around  the  upper  jaw  at  I ;  the  fluke -chain  is  slackened  off,  and  the  first  tackle 
fastened  to  the  piece  is  lowered,  when  all  hands  heave  on  the  head -tackle,  forcing 
the  whale  down  again,  and  thus  bringing  the  creature's  head  up,  and  the  body 
nearly  to  a  vertical  position.  The  officers  upon  the  cutting  -  stage,  with  their  keen 
spades,  cut  away  between  the  bones  and  junk  from  L  to  C ;  and  the  enormous 
weight  of  the  whole  fatty  mass  of  the  head  hanging  down,  opens  the  gash  between 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


237 


G 

r 

X 

o 
•n 


PI 


> 

r 

0) 

X 
0 

0 

-) 
m 

> 

8! 

% 

m 

0 

~n 

c 

0 
I 

tM 

S8 


238  MARINK    2IAMMALS    OF    THE    XORTII-WESTERN    COAST. 

it  and  the  skull -bono;  then,  cutting  across  the  end  of  the  junk  and  root  of  the 
case,  from  E  to  F,  oomplotcs  the  process  of  cutting  off  the  head,  which  is  tempo- 
rarily made  Aist  to  the  ship's  quarter.  The  fluke- chain  is  then  hauled  in  again, 
and  the  blubber  is  rolled  from  the  body  in  the  same  manner  as  that  of  a  baleen 
whale,  until  coming  to  the  region  of  the  small,  when  it  is  unjointed  just  behind 
the  vent,  and  the  remaining  posterior  portion  of  the  animal  is  hoisted  on  board  in 
one  mass.  The  head,  as  it  is  termed,  is  then  hauled  to  the  gangway,  and  one  of 
I  the   tackles   is   hooked    into    the   junk -strap   at   J,   and    by   means   of   this   cutting- 

i  tackle  purchase,  the   head    is    tak«n   in  whole,   if   the  whale   is   under  forty  barrels  ; 

but  if  over  that  size,  it  is  raised  sufficiently  out  of  the  water  to  cut  the  junk  from 
the  case,  when  it  is  hoisted  on  deck.  The  case  is  then  secured  by  one  or  both 
tackles,  hove  up  to  the  plank -shoe;',  and  an  opening  is  made  at  its  root,  of  a 
suitable  size  to  admit  the  case- bucket,  when  the  oil  is  bailed  out,  or  the  v. hole 
case  is  hove  in  on  dock  before  being  opened,  which  finishes  the  cutting- in  of  a 
Sperm  Whale. 

The  entire  blubber  being  now  on  board,  preparations  arc  immediately  made  for 
trying -out  the  oil.  The  blanket -pieces  are  cut  into  horse -pieces,  which  are  about 
fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  long,  and  six  or  eight  inches  in  breadth  and  thickness. 
Any  flesh  termed  "lean,"  or  "fat-lean,"  that  may  adhere  to  the  horse-pieces,  is  cut 
off  with    leaning- knives ;    and  being   thus   prepared,    the  blubber  is  transported    in 

strap-tubs   to   the   mincing-horse — where   the 

ordinary   two-handled  knife   is  used  —  or  else 

_      is  taken  to  the   mincing  machine,  where   it  is 

NIINCING    KNIFE.  ° 

,  cut  crosswise  into  slices  a  quarter  of  an  inch 

I  to  a  half  inch  in  thickness;  then  it  goes  into  a  large  mincing- tub,  which  completes 

its  preparation  for  boiling.  From  the  mincing- tub  it  is  pitched  into  the  try -pots 
with  the  blubber- fork,  where  the  oil  is  extracted  by  boiling.     During  this  process, 

I.  the   minced   blubber   is   frequently  stirred,  to   prevent   it   from   burning  and  settling 

to  the  bottom  of  the  pots  ;    and  when   the   scraps  are   sufficiently  browned  to  show 

\  that  the  oil  is  well  tried  out,  they  are  skimmed  off  with  the  skimmer  into  a  rocep- 

I  tacle  called  the  scrap -hopper,  and,  after  the  oil  drains  from  them,  they  furnish  an 

I  abundant  supply  of  fuel  for  the  fires. 

'i  From  the    pots,    the    oil   is    bailed   with    the    bailer    into   a   large  copper   tank 

i 

called  a  cooler;  from  the  cooler,  it  passes  through  a  cock  into  the  deck -pot;  and 
from  the  deck- pot  the  casks  are  filled.  When  a  cask  is  full,  it  is  rolled  off  and 
headed  up,  and  in  rough  weather  it  is  lashed  to  the  ship's  rail  for  greater  secu- 
rity.    The  oil,  after  passing  through  the  cooler  and   deck -pot,  is  still  very  hot,  if 


THE    AMERICAN    WIIALE-FISIIEHY. 


239 


the  blubber  is  being  tried  out  rapidly  ;  and  for  this  reason,  the  casks,  when  first 
filled,  require  the  constant  attention  of  the  cooper,  as  tlie  hoops  have  to  be  fre- 
quently driven,  to  prevent  leakage.  The  oil  taken  from  the  case  of  the  Sperm 
Whale  is  sometimes  put  into  casks  without  boiling ;  but,  usually,  it  is  carefully 
scalded  with  the  junk  and  a  porticn  of  the  hump,  and  when  put  into  casks,  it 
is  known  as  head,  or  head -matter.  After  the  oil  becomes  cool,  it  is  run  through 
a  hose  into  empty  casks,  which  have  been  prepared  with  great  care,  and  securely 
stowed  in  the  hold,  or  they  arc  lowered  and  stowed  after  being  filled  on  dock. 

The  whole  "fare"  having  been  stowed  down,  the  decks  are  cleaned  up,  and 
with  lyo  (which  is  leeched  from  cinders  and  ashes  taken  from  the  furnaces  of  the 
try-works),  the   ship  is  thoroughly  washed,   as  well  as  the  soiled  clothing  of  the 


1 


■tirrfMirtiMffiitfi^iiitol^ 


"^ 


-♦'*k^SJ?a5i.^ 


'-"•■-" '•'"-•■'-"•-•"-•"irTtrtrfifiilliMliiS^^ 


I.  Blubber-fork.      2.  Stirkixo-pole.      3.  Skimmer.      4.  Bailer.      5.  Fire-pike. 


crew,  when  everything  fore  and  aft  again  wears  an  aspect  of  order  and  cleanliness. 
Notwithstanding  the  great  labor  involved  in  obtaining  the  oil  from  a  whale  after 
its  capture,  ships  have  often  been  filled  in  a  very  short  sjiace  of  time.  In  former 
years,  it  was  no  unusual  occurrence  for  both  sperm  and  right  whalers  to  get 
"blubber -logged,"  which  is  the  expression  used  when  as  many  whales  are  caught 
at  one  time  as  can  possibly  be  cut  in  and  tried  out ;  and  at  the  present  day,  in 
the  Arctic  Ocean,  whales  are  so  scarce,  that,  in  order  to  secure  a  good  catch,  if 
opportunity  presents,  as  it  may  the  last  of  the  season,  the  whole  between- decks  of 
the  ship  is  frequently  filled  with  blubber  before  much  boiling  is  done.  At  such 
times,  it  is  necessary  to  drive  the  work,  and  often  eighty  or  one  hundred  barrels 
of  oil  have  been  tried  out  and  stowed  down  in  twenty- four  hours,  an''  in  a  few 
weeks  many  an  empty  ship  has  been  filled,  or  has  secured  a  good  catch. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
AMERICAN    WHALING    COMMERCE. 


It  has  ever  been  a  subject  of  interest  to  Ud  to  conteii-plate  the  advancement 
of  commerce  by  sea,  from  the  time  of  the  barbarian  sailors  up  to  the  present  cent- 
ury, when  every  ocean  is  teeming  with  magnificent  modals  of  naval  architecturci 
which  are  the  pride  of  maritime  nation"  Yet,  is  tbyre  any  sea-faring  pursuit 
recorued  in  history  which  has  displayed  a  more  legitimate,  energetic,  and  intelligent 
character  than  the  whale-fishery?  To  be  cast  upon  the  ocean,  far  from  land,  in 
an  open  boat,  is  considered  a  perilous  sit'iation ;  but  what  may  it  be  regarded, 
when,  in  a  slight,  frail  hoy,  like  the  whctlo-boat,  we  find  the  primitive  whale- 
men in  the  same  situntion,  attacking,  with  'ude  weapons,  these  monsters  of  the  deep 
upon  their  own  feeding  and  breedirc  gi funds?  Moreover,  these  adventurous  men 
were  succc&jful  in  making  their  captures,  and,  after  patient  toil  by  day  and  night, 
brought  their  colossal  prizes  over  tne  water  to  their  village  shores.  With  such 
impetuous  daring  did  they  pursue  t;ioir  precarious  calling,  that  but  few  years  elapsed 
before  the  whales  of  value  vrcre  driven  from  the  borders  into  mid -ocean,  where 
they  were  pursued  in  mere  shallop?  of  thirty  to  fifty  tons,  into  which  the  crews 
wore  crowded ;  and  when  a  suflicient  number  of  captures  had  been  marie  to 
supply  n.  full  fare  of  blubber,  the  pigmy  vessels  returned  to  the  home  s'lores, 
apparently  transformed  into  a  mass  of  slimy  whale -fat,  above  which  peer-id  the 
weather-worn  sails.  And,  as  years  passed  on,  in  still  larger  ships,  they  pressed 
forward,  contending  with  every  danger  incident  to  the  life  of  u  sailor,  upon 
unknown  waters  and  in  unhealthy  climes,  until  a  voyage  around  the  world  became 
as  legitimate  in  the  course  of  their  professional  lives,  as  was  the  launching  of  boats 
through  the  surf  to  pursue  the  game  neai  shore,  over  a  hundred  years  before. 

As  the  fishery  increased,  several  of  the  larger  whaling -ports  became  distin- 
guished for  pursuing  some  particular  branch  of  this  commerce.  Nantucket  was 
noted  for  its  sperm  whalerr  who  performed  long  voyages,  maintained  excellent 
discipline,  and  their  ships,  bting  genoially  confined  to  the  temperate  or  tropical 
latitudes  during  their  cruises,  were  examples  of  cleanliness  and  good  management. 

(Ml 


! 


pilS**IJ5JJPB^9l"«»PIW»"P'!»fPB»PffJ?«W»T'?"W!»M«?pH^^ 


r? 


int:    AMEh]C.:S    'niM.E-FUllEHT, 


24! 


t'r.  •■ii.t.-el.o'vri  Ikks  ev<  r  iunMi  forpinqs!;  Ui  ;■  Ju't  tui; >^.)ih  i'eo^t  ^r  [.luin-jiVitMingers, 
.1^.  iii  wbulidg  jiiiia-i',  "'piUiii- j>  i-di. -fi,  •.ff-if-h  *■■.!  &m»ll  vcssi  ,  .  !nj)'n\'":I  nn 
/.rr  ,())iif;'i\<!  in  (Ik-  At.lnit.i.'  O''^;.  <  ^.w  t-u  vi^-j^in?  havo  ,  i,  ,  mcl  Uil' 
Mi-o,  r  iior-ni?i}  r..r  jirosociili'ij'  th-.^  ;.;;rl-f  '>''"::,i!''  f'''-'!»j!rj,  i»  t  w^  ,.<,rh  v,-at.crp 
t)t*  'li'/h  i>.iil".''l''.-,  lUi'-l  pursuing'  i!)<.'  -'.is*  .•'.'  .,i.'.-i!'C  ul-" '.  t|jv  ''m  ;i^  ^  iilicirc.s  ol' 
Kcrj^fiii'lou'     r.iM.iJ,   'ho  Cnvi^ft's  ami   Ifu"'' (■    !-'i..>.il-\  «c.iU*.i-»!   ;>     ;*•-:  *:•.,    i!!'ii--in 

f 'omin  ;    a  j'l    i'!-io    ill    foiit'-ndinir   ■^^'i^h    f'"-    !:■■  uir'rn    i;  ;     «»>;    /ir  «  .  ^..i^    .'-'Inut 

1:.  il  'liujsiii.'iH  i\\y,  ill  foiiii-li  .'!'  ihc  f>'.<:^  lnvii  '  i.\A  rli.<  Wh  ^-i  W  ■,■-  '  -ix:^  Jhu  imr 
.♦rid  Kl.oninujto!!  lik- uiso  oirxpidso'l  ii.iuy  of  lii.Mr  iiij--  i'l  tlif^  ii  lU.  u  uad  sfuth- 
'fi'ii  iviu'lil-  Whnli;  ;i  [if>!-v  ;  Sill.!  %'(>>/  JMi'ltiVtl,  1,1  ([,,  cause  of  hm  fib.M.i'i.tin-  ,■{  iho 
.■Xi-'CNitci  j)(  riifiit  -f  l!)t'  wl'iiiiiL?  rai'i!);' f  ■■!  f  Uio  fTiiiti'il  i-^mtoH.  prosoculo'J  lii' 
f-litorj. «•■-•'  1,  i-  '.~r'H<'i,f  bi  ju-  hi-'-  il  .:■.-.  i»(  ^  ef'-i  '  \'-  .].  'i\  :\'.«"lin;'  li<l>.,!f  I)!' 
(?!"  ^sl*•v■i  !'  \-t.\:,\    <  <  \h      t  y*\    :i, '.(.Un,..       ■  :,.;vt>*  ,.i>       .-?,  ,-'\-.  f,-M-i  'ithi  r  qiiixrUrs, 

IlllliJ     l'l';i:(>',:iK;      'it',      I   :,:!!;•-<'  "     >'  '  '  ^'        !.    i  ■      '  '         '      jt,.'^.   iKi>   \     ■  v'         hfci 

!.iltr>'       •  :<  ■      '».  ,  ■»      ■•'     .  .S        It         !•',,.  ,  '■.         :■:      ''^■■■i..-     'iji,,;.,,?     '-        ,:' 


f  .'        I  ■; 


r" 


;r>.\  ;..;,;;. 


■vliich    1'    i-.-    rM!it!;i"    i>   n':    •'ix  r.ii- wliil  !ii.,-i 
I'll-   «u.r>tri'  i   If      'U'l-o!    itPi  tt'"\-.    '.li'iv        >   ' 


■  •     01  .    a  '      •'      ■''\        •'•  '■>';i.-"     ]  iiic. 


',in^i>-.,i   I,.       1    '    Mliuiti'- 


M'      I   :p.-lH  -t-t 


:-':ij.'    Ilallinr,    \,l,i,li    in    l.SrO    h,i.i    t  V  ■; 
'•f  l;H'-,r-  i.'Iu— .   liDV    liii,-  (.Illy   !'<■>  f-jiuti!    ; 
-tvMiin  :'-;■,      \'    s(i'.     li;  (.e'livM  I.     WiiiT'',,     i  i 

I^l\t'r,     !',);i,l  .in;!,     (icldi    ■:'     Jli!',     '"V,-.    .,    tl  ''«f-.      )(  • 

V.inii.iiii!i,   ^isi'!    ^■ll^, *;[(». t     ''r.ii,  (ii.  ,    somsw  i.  .>,   x     I  ■  "h;    a      '.•■  ■^   .^t'...^, 

■\nl..   s.c.uni:  ;.r   I..    !.t  ■•    H '„',,,  .„'     s:i,^:.^..  .~r    ]    .     ,,.,.,  U,  m   '..  ■'  '      ,.••,    • 

"l".     i"^V'i,     l!',!-.'    !■-     ...'t    ;■     »:M;rii.     W-       '     ■•i.U.  '      ■\.:^'.\-\-'_  i  I        |i      i,i.i.i.i 

■■  I'f.        '  M'    ti.i^    {■'^■•ij   -I  i^!,;     v-i.-j-:.      '(Hi..  I;--  •:.    ,  ■"      V      l.;.)V.    li        -  (      '"■.tl.    II,,     <. 

.,*'|-<  \yA\    I'U    tlu-    !i'i    '■,    icLii'inr       h'>  v.,      ii\'.'lj,,,      K- i  \\.    ■  ■■^'l_   h-i.) 

Tty-si-.    \vh:iliiii;- vos'- 'i-:,   i  1'   \:\\.\\     ,\\) ..    '• .  ■     ,i,      -"i..ii-if.l    ■■  \  wt-f-.        Trov  • 

clijw.rb   --■'(iiiK'ru;i    iif  At!, .11',.      .■..ti(.!>.     >     '  <«■  '.     miii  mov,  u  ..    ^,.«,.')^,   nluch 

■'iUj4<.'i,i   in    (ho  ngsTf.  «:,|i.    I,;"'!    -..i,,*  ,    x    j.  ^      .u    I'Vihrvmry     I'-it.   niiir.ti'oii   v  ^s*.|,.<, 
•  .'w    iMjin'-'ily    iiMiUbln'i    to     \  ■.''■     liii,.'.        ' . 'li,  u'Vinvii,     in     l^.Vl,     Im  ■!     liy.-     la:>;  • 
'.'.tif*  i'^  ili<;   I'm  ilic,    in.    .111.    litivr  I'l   lit.     Ai    n^i'";  in   ?k7".  pni>-  flii    .  roi  iKii.'.i 
^•■'       /    ^hu'')  Wi'i'i'  ill    poH  ;    ulcl    'iVt>r<!pi't       •'•'i:'h  \\:\A  a  ,  ipiath'.a  "     i  !■   ■  \\ 
-'.   i '"«.>,  -I'tU'  (|h7<1)   lifts  only  fi::;Iit.      TI-!'  fiT<^J    li-.T),  of  Noiv  U.^  ll'ir-',  .!    iHt 


-'■',■■« 


m^U^^ •^K    «P'"7F'lfW5W^|r»M' )'•  M^pinjii«iiiip»|iny»i,pt  ^|i 


'■H-i  mnm'm\   '" 


m 

% 


.i\ 


.1 . 


»..f 


■  5.  ■:. 


jMr^  V  j# 


l«  ■•^ 


lA' 


>^ 


IHE    AMEBIC  AN    WHALE-FISHERY.  241 

Provincetown  has  ever  been  foremost  with  her  numerous  fleet  of  plum-puddingers, 
or,  in  whaling  phrase,  "plum-pu-dn-rs,"  which  are  small  vessels,  employed  on 
short  voyages  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  New  Londoners  have  been,  and  still 
are.  renowned  for  prosecuting  the  Right  Whale  fishery,  in  the  rough  waters 
of  high  latitudes,  and  pursuing  the  Sea  Elephant  about  the  forbidding  shores  of 
Kerguelen's  Land,  the  Crozets,  and  Hurd's  Islands,  situated  far  south  in  the  Indian 
Ocean ;  and  also  in  contending  with  the  northern  ice  and  snow  of  Davis  Strait 
and  Hudson's  Bay,  in  search  of  the  Bowhead  and  the  White  Whale.  Sag  Harbor 
and  Stonington  likewise  employed  many  of  their  ships  in  the  northern  and  south- 
ern Right  Whale  fishery ;  and  New  Bedford,  in  the  course  of  her  absorption  of  the 
greater  portion  of  the  whaling  commerce  of  the  United  States,  prosecuted  the 
enterprise  in  its  various  branches  all  over  the  ocean  world,  by  availing  herself  of 
the  services  of  many  of  the  best  whaling- masters  and  officers  from  other  quarters, 
thus  combining  the  highest  energy  and  skill  for  the  successful  prosecution  of  the 
fisher}'.  But,  with  all  the  judicious  management  of  the  merchants,  and  the  unpar- 
alleled vigor  and  tact  put  forth  by  the  seamen,  our  whale-fishery,  as  previously 
stated,  has  been  for  years  on  the  decline;  and  the  first  famous  whaling- port  of 
America  —  Nantucket — wliicii  once  boasted  of  her  hundred  fine  ships,  has  now 
disposed  of  her  last  whaler — the  R.  L.  Barstow — at  that  port  of  recruit,  Payta, 
wliich  is  as  familiar  to  all  sperm -wlialomen  as  that  ui  Tumbez,  where  they  went 
for  supplies  of  sweet  potatoes,  after  obtaining  their  onions  at  the  former  place. 
Sug  Harbor,  wliich  in  1850  had  twenty -three  whalers,  the  majority  of  which  were 
of  largo  class,  now  has  only  two  small  brigs,  which  are  employed  on  the  Atlantic. 
Stonington,  Mystic,  Greenport,  Warren,  Cold  Spring,  Seppican,  Wareham,  Fall 
River,  Falmouth,  Holmes'  Hole,  Providence,  Newport,  L^nn,  Quincy,  ^lattapoisott, 
Yarmouth,  and  Somerset,  altogetlior  mustered,  in  1850,  a  fleet  of  ninety- two  sails; 
but,  according  to  the  Whalemen  s  SMiiping  List,  [)ublislied  at  New  Bedford,  February 
4tli,  1873,  there  is  not  a  single  vessel  engaged  in  whaling  from  any  one  of  those 
ports.  Of  the  forty- eight  vessels  comprising  the  New  London  fleet  of  1850,  there 
are  left  on  the  list  of  February  4tli,  187;'),  only  twenty.  Fairhaven,  in  1850,  had 
forty -six  whaling -vessels,  of  which  only  five  are  retained  in  the  business.  Prov- 
incetown's  squadron  of  Atlantic  cruisers,  in  1850,  numbered  sixteen  vessels,  which 
tonnnged  in  the  aggregate  1,871  tons;  it  had  in  February,  1873,  nineteen  vessels, 
whose  capacity  amormted  to  1,GG1  tons.  Edgartown,  in  1850,  had  five  large 
whalers  in  the  Pacific,  and  one  brig  in  the  Atlantic  ;  in  1873,  only  three  remained, 
two  of  which  were  in  port ;  and  Westport,  which  had  a  squadron  of  fifteen  vessels 
in  1850,  now  (1873)  has  only  eight.     The  great  fleet  of  New  Bedford,  in  1850,  num- 

Mahimi  Mahmali,  —  91. 


242 


MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    TUE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


bered  two  hundred  and  thirty -seven,  which  were  principally  whalers  of  the  larger 
class.  It  now  has  (1873)  une  hundred  and  twenty- nine.  San  Francisco,  in  1853, 
had  ten  vessels  in  the  business,  but  the  present  year  there  is  but  one  legitimate 
whaling -craft  sailing  from  that  port.  It  may  be  regarded  as  a  singular  coinci- 
dence, that  Boston  and  New  York,  which  repeatedly,  in  former  years,  attempted, 
but  failed,  to  successfully  cstablisl:  lie  whaling  business  at  citiier  port,  have 
now  (February  4th,  1873)  six  small  vessels  in  the  Atlantic  and  one  in  the  Pacific 
whale-fishery.  Marion  has  three  small  schooners,  Beverly  one  brig,  Dartmouth 
two  ships,  San  Francisco  one  bark,  which  make  up  the  whole  American  whaling- 
fleet  of  the  present  day,  consisting  of  twenty -six  ships,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  barks,  twelve  brigs,  and  thirty -eight  schooners  —  in  all,  47,378  tons. 

The    following    prices  have  been    taken    from  the   MercJiants   Magazine,  and  the 
Whalemen s  Shipping  List  of  November,  1840;  also  from  J.  Ross  Browne's  work: 


AvEUAOE  Prices  of  Oil  (peu  gallon)  and  Bone  (per  pound),  from  1835  to  1872,  inclusive. 


(' 


183.5. 
1830. 
1837. 
1838 . 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
184G. 
1847 . 
1848. 
1849 . 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
18,53. 


Sperm  Oil. 

Wbalo  on. 

$0  84 

$0  3G 

88 

44 

82 

33 

85 

32 

1  GO 

35 

1  02\ 

30 

1  00 

30i 

94 

31.1 

73 

33J 

C3 

341 

OOi 

3Gi 

88 

32J 

875 

33:^ 

1  OOi 

3C 

1  09 

40 

1  m 

49 

1  27:} 

45i 

1  23i 

G8S 

1  24J 

m 

24 

25 

22 

19 

19 

18 

19    |l 

193  '\ 

23    ^1 

35 J  il 

40 

331 

34 

81 

31i 

34i 

341 

50J 

34.V 


1854. 
1855. 
185G. 
1857 . 
1858. 
1859. 
18G0. 
18G1. 
18G2. 
18G3. 
18G4. 
18G5. 
18GG. 
18G7. 
18G8. 
18G9. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 


Sperm  Oil. 

$1  48:j 

1  77 

1  G2 

1  28i 

1  21 

1  3Gj 

1  41^ 

1  3U 

1  42i 

1  01 

1  78 

2  25 

2  55 

2  33i 

1  92 

1  78 

1  351 

1  35 

1  45,} 

$0  58J 
71 
791 
73^ 
54 
481 
49J 
44} 
591 
95.} 
1  28 
1  45 
1  21 
73.} 
82 
1  01,1 
07.} 
CO 
C51 


$0  39} 
45} 
58 
9G.1 
92} 
85 
80} 
GO 
82 
1  53 
1  80 
1  71 
1  37 
1  17i 
1  02i 
124 
85 
70 
1  281 


Following,   wo    give   a    tabular  statement   of  the    condition    of  the    fishery    for 
thirty-eight  years,  beginning  in  1835  and  ending  in  1872,  inclusive: 


M& 


mmM 


■fliMtiillki^ 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


243 


YoarB. 

Number  of 

BUIpxilua 

Uwka. 

NuoibtT 

of 

Brigii. 

No.  Scbrs. 

and 

Sloopl. 

AKgregate 
Tonn«(je. 

Barrel! 

of 

Sperm  Oil. 

BuTeU 

of 

Whulo  Oil. 

Pounds 

of 
Bone. 

Vsluo  of  Imports. 

1835. 

483 

8 

9 

145,120 

172,083 

120,049 

905,192 

$    0,108,997  92 

183G. 

488 

9 

10 

150,209 

132,130 

131,170 

1,028,773 

5,733,530  21 

1837. 

490 

9 

10 

150,909 

181,724 

219,138 

1,753,104 

7,357,553  31 

1838. 

495 

25 

30 

159,723 

131,850 

227,010 

1,783,848 

0,157,037  52 

1839. 

498 

100 

78 

109,983 

150,000 

230,000 

Not  Itendereil. 

7,544,250  00 

1840. 

510 

40 

9 

171,190 

157,791 

207,908 

2,000,000 

9,775,002  GO 

1841. 

535 

41 

9 

191,707 

159,304 

207,348 

2,000,000 

7,084,087  70 

1842. 

542 

43 

9 

195,833 

105,037 

101,041 

1,000,000 

0,829,788  90 

1843. 

578 

40 

9 

198,754 

100,985 

200,727 

2,000,000 

0,497,587  04 

1844. 

595 

41 

11 

200,147 

139,594 

202,047 

2,532,445 

6,523,384  01 

1845. 

043 

35 

18 

218,055 

157,917 

272,730 

3,107,142 

9,128,235  07 

1840. 

078 

35 

23 

233,189 

95,217 

207,493 

2,270,939 

5,.553,817  52 

1847. 

070 

31 

22 

230,218 

120,753 

313,150 

3,341,080 

7,807,805  20 

1848. 

021 

22 

10 

210,003 

107,970 

280,050 

2,003,000 

8,905,021  04 

1849. 

581 

21 

12 

190,110 

100,944 

248,492 

2,281,100 

7,321,100  09 

1850. 

510 

20 

13 

171,484 

92,892 

200,008 

2,809,200 

7,743,880  98 

1851. 

502 

24 

27 

171,971 

99,591 

328,483 

3,900,500 

10,042,530  94 

1852. 

558 

27 

35 

193,990 

78,872 

84,211 

1,259,900 

5,720,455  23 

1853. 

599 

30 

32 

200,280 

103,07" 

200,114 

5,052,300 

10.730,037  94 

1854. 

002 

28 

38 

208,399 

73,G90 

319,837 

3,445,200 

10,710,748  80 

1855. 

584 

20 

34 

199,842 

72,049 

184,015 

2,707,.500 

9,391,182  98 

1850. 

585 

21 

29 

199  Ml 

80,941 

197,890 

2,592,700 

10,589,844  74 

1857. 

593 

22 

40 

204,209 

78,440 

230,iHl 

2,058,900 

10,491, .^r37  28 

1858. 

587 

18 

49 

203,148 

81,941 

182,223 

1,540,000 

7.043,997  07 

1859. 

501 

19 

45 

195,115 

91,408 

190,411 

1,923,850 

8,407,393  41 

18C0. 

508 

19 

42 

170,842 

73,708 

140,005 

1,337,050 

0,555,700  05 

1801. 

459 

14 

41 

158,740 

08,932 

133,737 

1,038,450 

3,233,393  15 

1802. 

372 

10 

41 

125,405 

55,041 

100,478 

703,500 

5,001,088  49 

18C3. 

301 

10 

42 

103,888 

05,055 

02,974 

488,750 

5,930,507  17 

18C4. 

258 

G 

43 

88,754 

04,372 

I...03 

700,450 

7,875,002  50 

18G5. 

220 

7 

43 

80,053 

33,242 

70,238 

019,350 

0,897,285  15 

180C. 

199 

8 

50 

71,809 

30,003 

74,302 

920,375 

7, 037, 88 S  08 

1807. 

222 

10 

80 

80,383 

43,433 

89,289 

1,001,397 

0,294,003  82 

1808. 

223 

17 

89 

82,304 

47,174 

05,575 

900,850 

5,470,250  01 

1809. 

223 

25 

88 

82,708 

47,930 

85,011 

003,003 

0,190,947  54 

1870. 

218 

22 

81 

80,885 

55,183 

72,091 

708,335 

4,497,300  10 

1871. 

210 

18 

54 

70,712 

41,534 

75,152 

000,055 

3,807,071  05 

1872. 

172 

12 

34 

52,701 

44,881 

31,395 

193,742 

2,950,288  80 

38 

17,085 

907 

1,351 

0,037,551 

3,071,772 

0,553,014 

00,087,580 

$272,274,910  27 

.' 


2U  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

The  average  number  of  vessels  employed  annually  for  these  years  was  five 
hundred  and  twenty-four,  aggregating  158,883  tons,  and  the  amount  of  oil  taken 
yearly  was  a  fraction  over  96,025  barrels  of  sperm,  and  172,448  barrels  of  whale  ; 
Tlie  number  of  Sperm  Whales  required  to  produce  this  amount  of  sperm  oil  (allow- 
ing them  to  average  twenty -five  barrels  each)  would  be  3,865;  add  to  this  ten 
per  cent,  for  whales  mortally  wounded,  lost  after  capture,  etc.,  brings  the  number 
up  to  4,253,  or  thereabouts.  The  black  whales  annually  destroyed,  which  includes 
Right  Whale-.,  Bowhcads,  California  Grays,  and  Humpbacks,  allowing  them  to  average 
sixty  barrels  each,  would  make  the  number  2,875  ;  add  to  this  twenty  per  cent, 
for  whales  lost,  increases  it  to  3,450 ;  so  that  the  number  of  Sperm  and  black 
whales  annually  destroyed  was  7,703.  According  to  this  estimate,  during  the 
thirty -eight  years,  there  were  no  less  than  292,714  whales  captured  or  destroyed 
by  the  American  whaler's  lance. 

The  history  of  !nany  of  the  old  whale -ships  is  of  peculiar  commercial  inter- 
est, large  numbers  of  them  having  performed  scores  of  voyages  ui  the  merchant 
service,  or  served  as  vessels  of  war,  before  being  transformed  into  cruisers  for  oil 
and  bone.  Among  them  was  the  ship  Maria.  This  vessel  was  built  at  Pembroke 
(now  called  Hanson),  Mass.,  during  the  year  1782,  for  a  privateer,  but  was  pur- 
chased by  the  celebrated  wlialing  merchant,  William  Rotch.  It  was  one  of  the 
first  vessels  to  display  tiie  American  flag  in  the  Thames  after  the  War  of  Indepen- 
dence,"" being  at  that  period  employed  as  a  freighter.  The  Maria  concluded 
her  first  whaling- voyage  September  2Gth,  1775,  and  from  that  time  continued  in 
the  business  for  seventy  years,  during  which  service  she  performed  twenty- seven 
voyages.  She  sailed  from  New  Bedford  upon  her  last  whaling- voyage  under  our 
flag  on  the  29th  of  September,  1859  ;  the  oil  taken  in  all  these  expeditions,  includ- 
ing eight  hundred  barrels  on  her  final  voyage,  being  24,419  barrels  of  sperm,  and 
one  hundred  and  thirty -four  barrels  of  whale  oil.  The  vessel  was  commanded  and 
officered  by  Xantucket-men  while  owned  by  Mr.  Rotch;  and  after  his  decease,  in 
1828,t  she  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  descendants.  On  her  last,  unfinished 
voyage  mentioned  above,  she  was  sold  at  Talcahuano,  Ciiile,  February,  18G3,  being 
tlien  eighty -one  years  old.  At  this  epocii  in  her  history,  the  venerable  craft 
clianged  her  namo  and  nationality,  being  christened  the  Maria  Pacheco,  and,  instead 

♦Preble,  in  his  Ilislory  of  the  American  Flag  In    that    case,    to    John    Singleton    Copley,    of 

(page    215),    states    that    "The    honor    of   dis-  Boston,  the   American   painter,  and   the  father 

playing  our  flag  in  England  for  the  first  time  of  the  late  Lord  Lyndhurst,  must  be  assigned 

does   not,   however,  rest   with   any  vessel,  if  a  the  honor," 
printed  representation  of  it  can  bo  considered.  f  Vide  Sanford's  Letters. 


11 

I  1 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  245 

of  the  "stars  and  stripes,"  the  banner  of  Chile — red,  whito-and  blue,  with  its  star, 
emblems  of  republican  power  and  prowess — was  raised  at  her  peak,  when  she 
again  resumed  the  work  of  a  common  carrier.  But,  in  18G6,  she  was  fitted  for  a 
whaling  -  voyage  ;  and  it  is  asserted  by  one  authority,  that  the  Maria  Pacheco  found- 
ered at  sea  in  1870  ;  and  another  record  maintains  that  she  sunk  at  her  anchors, 
tiic  same  year,  in  the  roadstead  of  Payta,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- eight. 
This  memorable  old  vessel  was  one  of  those  models  which  combined  great  capacity 
with  fast  sailing,  for  her  time:  her  length  being  "eighty -six  feet;  breadth,  twenty- 
three  feet  and  one  inch  ;  depth,  eleven  feet  six  and  a  half  inches ;  and  measure- 
ment, two  hundred  and  two  and  twenty -ei^'ht  ninety -fifths  tons." 

In  1820,  a  whale -ship  was  built  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  named  the  Mayflower. 
This  vessel  made  several  voyages  from  that  port,  after  which  she  was  sold  to  a 
firm  in  New  Bedford;  and  in  April,  1849,  she  was  among  the  gold -fleet  which 
sailed  for  California,  making  a  passage  of  one  hundred  and  sixty -five  days,  enter- 
ing the  Golden  Gate  September  13th,  and  soon  after  rested  on  the  mud -flat  in  front 
of  the  then  tented  city  of  San  Francisco.  Here  she  was  dismantled,  mutilated,  and 
turned  into  a  store-ship,  and  her  cabin  was  transformed  into  convenient  quarters 
for  a  gentleman  and  his  wife,  where  they  made  it  a  pleasant  sub- aquatic  residence. 
The  vessel  was  of  that  ancient  build  which  presented  a  swelled  stern  and  drooping 
bow,  with  her  masts  standing  plumb  or  pitching  forward ;  and  the  question  was 
frequently  asked  by  passing  gold -miners,  on  their  way  to  the  "diggings,"  if  she 
was  really  the  ship  that  brought  over  the  Pilgrims?  It  is  said,  too,  by  good 
authority,  that  pieces  of  timber  were  taken  from  her  sides,  as  soumdrs,  by  several 
California  adventurers,  who  believed  her  to  bo  the  old  Pilgrim  ship  of  1G20. 
After  being  battered  as  a  receptacle  of  merchandise  for  several  years,  the  capacious 
port  which  had  been  cut  in  her  side  was  closed  up,  and  she  was  again  refitted  for 
a  whaling-cruise;  but  the  expedition  proved  to  be  unsuccessful,  and  she  again 
returned  through  the  Golden  Gate,  with  a  broken  voyage  and  in  a  leaky  condition. 
Soon  after,  however,  she  was  turned  into  a  lumber -carrier,  and  literally  pumped 
her  way  back  and  fortii  between  Puget  Sound  and  San  Francisco  ;  until,  becoming 
60  shattered  that  she  could  no  longer  efficiently  perform  sea  voyages,  was  made  to 
transport  lumber  across  the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  to  Victoria,  in  the  time  of  the 
Frazer  River  gold  fever ;  and,  after  a  changing  career  of  forty  years,  returned  to 
San  Francisco,  whore  she  was  dismantled  for  the  last  time,  and  her  hull  broken  up. 

The  question  is  frequently  asked,  What  has  become  of  the  largo  number  of 
whale -ships  which  were  but  a  few  years  ago  engaged  in  the  fishery?  In  answer, 
wo  will  state,  that  the  scattered  wrecks  of  many  are  found  in  every  quarter  of  the 


246  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

globe;  while  others  have  been  sold  into  the  merchant  service,  or  broken  up  at 
home.  San  Francisco  Bay  and  Sacramento  River  were  the  last  ports  many  of  the 
old  ships  made.  The  Charleston  Bar  swallowed  up  the  stone  fleet,  which  was 
chiefly  made  up  of  old  whalers;  and  the  cruisers,  during  the  Rebellion,  destroyed 
many  valuable  vessels  while  at  sea;  and,  last  of  all,  the  ice  of  the  Arctic  made  a 
fell  swoop  upon  the  northern  fleet,  in  the  foil  of  1871, 


pi 


„^iMS&sitestiim 


CHAPTER    V. 
CALIFORNIA    SIIORE-WHALOG. 

Although  brief  mention  has  been  made  in  the  Natural  History  department  of 
this  work,  relative  to  the  shore -whaling  along  the  coasts  of  Upper  and  Lower 
California,  jet  it  may  be  well  to  devote  a  chapter  especially  to  this  fishery. 
California  shore  -  whaling  was  commenced  at  Monterey,  in  the  year  1851,  by 
Captain  Davenport,  formerly  a  whaling -master  of  much  experience  and  enterprise. 
The  whales  were  pursued  in  boats  from  the  shore,  and  when  captured  were  towed 
to  the  beach  and  flensed,  much  in  the  same  manner,  doubtless,  as  it  had  been 
done  by  our  New  England  whalers  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 
At  the  point  where  the  enormous  carcass  was  stripped  of  its  fat,  arose  the 
"whaling  station,"  where  try -pots  were  set  in  rude  furnaces,  formed  of  rocks  and 
clay,  and  capacious  vats  were  made  of  planks,  to  receive  the  blubber.  Large 
mincing-tubs,  with  mincing -horses  and  mincing -knives,  cutting- spades,  ladles, 
bailers,  skimmers,  pikes,  and  gafis,  with  other  whaling  implements,  surrounded  the 
try -works;  and  near  by,  a  low  structure,  covered  with  brush -wood,  constituted 
the  store -house  for  the  oil.  A  light  shanty,  with  four  apartments,  served  the 
purpose  of  wash-room,  drying-room,  store-room,  and  cooper's  shop;  and  a  sort  of 
capstans,  termed  "crabs,"  were  used  in  lieu  of  the  ship's  windlass,  whereby  the 
falls  to  the  heavy  cutting -tackk-s  were  hove -in,  when  fastened  to  the  blanket- 
piece,  which  served  to  roll  the  massive  forms  of  the  captured  animals  on  the  beach 
during  the  process  of  flensing. 

From  this  experiment  of  local  whaling  sprung  up  a  system  of  shore  or  coast 
whaling,  which  has  been  prosecuted  for  over  twenty  years,  and  which  now  extends 
from  Half  Moon  Bay  (latitude  37°  30'),  on  the  north,  to  Point  Abanda  (lati- 
tude 32°  20'),  in  Lower  California.  At  the  present  time,  there  are  eleven 
whaling  parties  scattered  along  this  belt  of  coast,  located  at  Half  Moon  Bay, 
Pigeon  Point,  Monterey  Bay  (two),  Carmel  Bay,  San  Simeon,  San  Luis  Obispo, 
Goleta,  Portuguese  Bend  (near  San  Pedro),  San  Diego,  and  Point  Abanda.  The 
organization  of  each  party  is  nearly  on  the  same  plan  as  that  of  the  whale -ship's 

[S47] 


i 


248  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

officers  and  crew — all  being  paid  a  certain  share,  or  "lay,"  which  corresponds  to 
the  position  or  individual  services  rendered  by  each  member.  A  "whaling  com- 
pany," as  it  is  termed,  consists  of  one  captain,  one  mate,  a  cooper,  two  boat- 
steerers,  and  eleven  men;  from  these,  two  whale-boats  arc  provided  with  crews 
of  six  men  each,  leaving  four  hands  on  shore,  who  take  their  turn  at  the  lookout 
station,  to  watch  for  whales,  and  attend  to  bf)iling  out  the  blubber  when  a  whale 
is  caught.  The  stock  of  the  company  consists  of  boats,  whaling  implements,  and 
whaling- gear,  winch  is  divided  into  sixteen  equal  shares,  and  the  "lay"  of  each 
member  is  the  same.  The  captain  and  mate,  however,  arc  paid  a  bonus  of  two  or 
throe  hundred  dollars  for  the  term  of  engagement,  which  is  one  year,  and  they 
are  also  exempt  from  all  expenses  of  the  company. 

The  whaling  year  begins  on  the  first  of  April,  this  being  about  the  time  that 
the  California  Gray  Whales  have  all  passed  toward  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  the 
Humpback  Whales  begin  their  northern  passage.  The  cruising  limits  of  the  local 
whalers  extend  from  near  the  shore -lino  to  ten  miles  at  sea.  At  dawn  of  day, 
the  boats  may  bo  seen,  careening  under  a  press  of  sail,  or  propelled  over  the 
undulating  ground -swell  by  the  long,  measured  strokes  of  oars,  until  they  reach 
the  usual  whaling- ground,  whore  the  daj'  is  passed  plying  to  and  fro,  unless  the 
objects  of  pursuit  are  met  with.  Each  boat  is  furnished  with  Greener's 
harpoon -gun,  mounted  at  the  bow,  besides  the  bomb -gun  in  general  use,  which 
imparts  to  thorn  more  of  a  military  appearance  than  the  usual  aspect  of  a  whaling- 
craft.  Generally,  whales  are  first  seeu  from  the  boats  ;  but  occasionally  they  are 
discovered  by  the  man  on  watch  at  the  station,  who  signals  to  the  boats  by  means 
of  a  flag  elevated  upon  a  j^ole,  with  which  he  runs  toward  the  quarter  where  the 
V hales  are  seen;   or  a  series  of  signals  are  made  from  a  tall  flag- staff. 

The  cetaceous  animals  frequenting  the  coast,  having  been  so  long  and  con- 
stantly pursued,  arc  exceedingly  wild  and  difficult  to  approach ;  and  were  it  not 
for  the  utility  of  Greener's  gun,  the  coast  fishery  would  be  abandoned,  it  being 
now  next  to  impossible  to  "strike"  with  the  hand- harpoon.  At  the  present  time, 
if  the  whale  can  be  approached  within  thirty  yards,  it  is  considered  to  be  in  reach 
of  the  gun -harpoon.  Wiien  the  gunner  fires,  if  he  hits  his  game,  the  next  effort 
made  is  to  haul  up  near  enough  to  shoot  a  bomb -lance  into  a  vital  part,  which, 
if  it  explodes,  completes  the  capture ;  but,  if  the  first  bomb  fails,  the  second  or 
third  one  does  the  fatal  work.  The  prize  is  then  towed  to  the  station ;  and  if  it 
bo  night,  it  is  secured  to  one  of  the  buoys  placed  for  the  purpose,  a  little  way 
from  the  surf,  where  it  remains  until  daylight,  or  until  such  time  as  it  is  wanted,  to 
bo  stripped   of  i.s  blubber.     The  whales  generally   taken   by   the  shore   parties  are 


THE    AMEItlCAX    WII A LK -  FWIl KUY 


240 


Mabtne  Mammals.— :W. 


260 


MAltlNE    MAMMALS    OF    TII^    NOBTJI-WESTERN    COAST. 


Humpbacks,  and  California  Grays ;  but  occasionally  a  Right  Whale,  a  Finback,  or  a 
Sulphurbottom  is  captured. 

The  localities  of  :'everal  of  the  stations  are  quite  picturesqiio.  Some  of  them 
are  nearly  concealed  from  seaward  view,  being  inside  some  rocky  reof,  or  behind  a 
jagged  point,  with  its  outlying  rocks,  upon  which  each  successive  wave  dashes  its 
foam,  as  if  forbidding  the  approach  of  ship  or  boat.  The  one  which  most  inter- 
ested us  is  half- hidden  i;'  u  little  nook,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  Bay  of 
Carmel,  just  south  of  Point  Pinos.  Scattered  around  the  foot-hills,  which  come  to 
the  water's  edge,  are  the  neatly  whitewa  hed  cabins  of  the  whalers,  nearly  all  of 
whom  are  Poitugueso,  from  the  Azoro«  or  "Western  Islands  of  the  Atlantic.  They 
have  their  families  with  them,  and  keep  a  pig,  sheep,  goat,  or  cow,  prowling 
around  the  premises;  these,  with  a  small  garden-patch,  yielding  principally  corn 
and  pumpkins,  make  :ip  the  general  picture  of  the  hamlet,  which  \^  a  paradise  to 
the  thrifty  clan  in  comparison  with  the  lioinos  of  their  childhood.  It  is  a  pleasant 
retreat  from  the  rough  voj-ages  experienced  3i\  boai'd  the  wliale-ship.  The  sur- 
rounding natural  scenery  is  l)roken  into  majestic  spurs  and  peaks,  like  their  own 
native  isles,  with  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Caimel  a  little  beyond,  expanded  into 
landscajie  loveliness. 

Under  a  precipitous  bluff,  clof^e  to  the  water's  edge,  is  the  !3tation ;  where, 
upon  a  stone -laid  quay,  is  erected  tlio  whole  establishment  for  cutting- in  and 
trying-out  the  blubl)er  of  the  whales.  Instead  of  rolling  them  upon  the 
beach,  as  is  usually  done,  the  cutting- tackles  are  suspended  from  an  elevated  beam, 
whereby  the  carcass  is  rolled  over  in  the  water — when  undergoing  the  process  of 
flensing — in  a  manner  similar  to  tliat  alongside  a  ship.  Near  by  are  the  try- 
works,  sending  fi^un  volumes  of  thick,  l)lack  smoke  from  the  scap-fire  under  tlie 
steaming  cauldrons  of  boiling  oil.  A  little  to  one  '<ide  is  the  primitive  store- 
house, covered  with  cypress  boughs.  Jioats  are  hanging  from  davits,  f;omc  resting  on 
the  quay,  while  others,  fully  equipped,  swing  at  their  moorings  in  the  bay.  Sea- 
ward, on  the  crest  of  a  cone-shaped  hill,  stands  the  signal-pole  of  the  lookout 
sta.ion.  Add  to  this  tl>e  cutting  at  the  shapeless  and  lialf-putriil  mass  of  a  muti- 
lated whale,  together  with  the  men  shouting  anu  heaving  on  the  capstans,  the 
screaming  of  gulls  and  c/t'icr  sea-fowl,  mingled  with  th<  noise  of  the  surf  about 
the  si^ores,  and  we  have  a  jiicture  of  the  general  life  at  .  California  coast- wlialing 
stition, 

Tiio  aggregate  amomif  of  oil  tidcen  l»y  the  several  shore  })arties,  since  their 
first  establishment,  miiy  be  estimated  at  not  less  than  05,000  barrels;  of  this 
amount,  75,000   barrels   have   l)een  obtained   from    the  California  Gray  Whales,  and 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  251 

20,000  barrels  from  the  Humpbacks,  Finbacks,  and  Sulphurbottoms.  The  value  of 
the  oil  may  be  placed  at  about  thirteen  dollars  a  barrel,  which  would  give  a  gross 
amount  ff  $1,242,800,  or  an  annual  product  for  twenty-two  years  of  $56,490.  To 
obtain  this  oil,  not  loss  than  2,100  California  Grays,  and  eight  hundred  Humpbacks 
and  other  whalebone  whales,  were  robbed  of  their  fatty  coverings.  If  we  add  to  this 
one -fifth  for  the  number  of  whales  that  escaped  their  pursuers,  although  mortally 
wounded,  or  were  lost  after  being  killed  cither  by  sinking  in  deep  water  or 
through  stress  of  weather,  we  shall  swell  the  catalogue  to  3,552.  To  this  add  one- 
eighth  for  unborn  young,  and  the  whole  number  of  animals  destroyed  would  be 
3,990,  or  about  one  hundred  and  eighty- one  annually.  This  may  be  regarded  as 
a  low  estimate ;  doubtless  the  number  of  these  creatures  destroyed  every  year 
by  the  enterprising  California  whalemen  far  exceeds  the  above  estimate.  But 
this  peculiar  branch  of  whaling  is  rapidl}-  dying  out,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
the  animals  which  now  visit  the  coast ;  and  even  these  have  become  exceedingly 
difficult  to  approach. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
LIFE  AND   CIIAHACTERISTICS   OF  AMERICAN  WHALEMEN. 


In  tiikiiig  a  general  view  of  winding  life,  we  find  it  replete  with  incidents  of 
daring  adventnre,  hardsliip,  nnd  deprivation.  The  vessels  first  employod  in  deep- 
sea  whaling  were  so  contraeted,  that  no  degree  of  comfort  could  be  afforded  to 
(heir  crews,  wlio,  l\y  sIi'mt,  ambitious  hardihood,  maintained  existence  on  board 
during  (lieir  short  voyages.  As  the  pursuit  became  extended,  requiring  larger 
vessels,  the  barks  and  brigs  of  the  iishers  were  much  improved,  while  the 
absence  from  tlieir  native  shores  was  more  prolonged.  At  this  period  a  system 
for  litting  out  vessels  for  long  voyages  was  inaugurated,  as  well  as  the  establish- 
ment of  eflective  discipline  on  board,  for  which  well-regulated  whale-ships  have 
always  been  noted;  and  the  whale-fishery  steadily  advanced  under  the  judicious 
management  of  tiiose  able  and  systematic  business  gentlemen,  whoso  names  have 
long  since  become  as  f;imiliar  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  ocean  world,  as  the 
ships  named  in  their  honor.  The  broad  expanse  of  the  Atlantic  soon  became  too 
limited  a  field  for  the  vast  enter^jrise,  and  in  consequence  of  this,  the  fourth 
epoidi  in  the  fishery  was  inaugurated,  when  still  larger  vessels  were  sent  out  to 
search  the  nearly  unknown  waters  of  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans.  These  vessels 
doultled  Capes  Horn  and  Ciood  Hope,  in  their  wanderings,  whicii  were  so  pro- 
tracted, under  the  most  favorable  auspices,  that  the  "green  hands,"  many  of 
wiiom  never  had  snulVed  the  ocean's  breezes  until  afioat  on  board  a  whaler, 
returned  to  their  New  England  or  Western  homes,  transformed  into  seamen  and 
whalemen. 

The  Capo  Horn  and  Indian  Ocean  voyages  were  at  first  of  comparatively  short 
duration  ;  but  as  the  pursuit  was  followed  to  more  distant  seas,  three  years  or 
more  passed  away   bel'nre  the   return   of  these   cruisers.*     During  this  long  absence, 

*Tlio   uporm- whaling  voyuf^oH  wore   tho   most  Piicific,  which  wna  niiiUHin<»ly  ilhistrntivo  of   llio 

Iirotnictcil    mill   (cilidus.     Soiiio    forty   yours   ii^jo,  diet    luul    riicrffy    of    lior    limstor    in    iiiaiiiif:;iiit» 

lui  iuciilciil  tninsjiiixHl  on  boiinl  a  spcrni  wlmlc-  afluirM,  iiftor   wearing'  away   nearly  a  wlioln  sca- 

fliip,   while  cruising   about  the  equator,  in  tho  Hon  with  intliflcruut  huccchs.     Near  tho  close  ot 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY. 


253 


an  occasional  vessel  would  bring  them  news  from  home.  Reallj',  the  only  legiti- 
mate means  of  communication,  in  early  times,  was  by  the  outward-bound  and 
homeward-bound  ships;*  and  as  a  natural  result,  a  system  of  transmitting  letters 
was  faithfully  carried  out.  Speaking  and  visiting  between  whale -ships  was  a  uni- 
versal practice;  and  a  custom  of  signaling  and  "gamming"  was  established,  to  pre- 
vent, as  far  as  possible,  any  detriment  to  the  voyage.  A  ship  desiring  to  speaic 
with  another,  out  of  ordinary  signal  distance,  would  haul  up  her  mainsail ;  and  the 
vessel  with  the  wind  free  would  bear  up  and  run  down  to  the  new-comer  on  the 
ground,  who,  being  hauled  aback,  awaited  the  approach  of  the  visitor.  There  is, 
usually,  considerable  formality  observed  in  these  casual  communications,  especially 
if  between  strangers.  The  captain  of  the  ship  making  the  signal  to  speak,  hails 
hrst,  and  asks  whatever  questions  ho  may  desire  ;  after  which,  the  master  of  tlie 
other  vessel  docs  likewise,  and  mutual  invitations  are  exchanged  to  visit.  If  either 
accept,  the  rule  is  for  the  chief  mate  of  the  ship  visited  by  a  captain,  to 
return,  in  the  same  boat,  on  a  visit  to  his  executive  officer.  If  whales  are  raised 
during  the  time  of  ganiaiing,  the  vessels  generally  "mate,"  in  order  that  all 
shall  have  a  motive  in  working  together  effectively ;  and,  if  there  has  been  no 
previous   agreement   to    meet   the  exigency,   a  flag   is  hoisted   at   the   peak   jf  the 


the  cruise,  the  supply  of  fresh  water  had  he- 
come  nlnrmingly  short  for  the  allotted  time 
before  returniug  to  port.  This  was  a  source  of 
regret,  with  both  officers  nnd  men,  as  it  was 
hoped  they  could  fill  the  ship  before  the  season 
terminated ;  and  the  captain  would  not  have 
listened  for  a  moment  to  the  proposition  to  put 
the  crew  on  a  short  allowance,  had  it  been  sug- 
gested. Ho,  however,  ordered  a  drinking -cup 
made,  so  as  to  bo  easily  secured  to,  or  detached 
from,  the  royal-mast  head.  Having  placed  it 
in  its  exalted  position,  all  hands  were  mustered, 
and  given  to  understand  that  they  would  have 
their  regular  allowance  of  tea  and  lofVeo  served 
night  and  morning;  but  when  anyone  (includ- 
ing himself)  desired  to  cjuench  his  thirst  during 
the  (lay,  ho  nuist  go  aloft,  get  tho  drinkiiig- 
cup,  bring  it  on  dock,  obtain  and  drink  the 
water  (witliout  spilling  a  drop),  then  take  it 
back  and  place  it  at  tho  mast-head  again.  The 
uarrator  of  this  episode  jocosely  remarked  that, 


' '  It  was  wonderful  to  observe  what  a  '  per- 
suader' against  too  much  diinking  was  tho 
exercise  of  'shinning'  to  tho  rjyal  truck  twice, 
for  a  pot  of  water."  And,  by  this  means,  the 
supply  held  out;  and  before  tht  end  of  the 
cruise,  tiiny  imi)roved  the  timely  opporUsi^y  of 
filling  every  empty  cask  with  oil,  and  trimmed 
their  sails  for  tho  homeward  passage. 

*  Post  Office  Bay,  upon  the  north-western 
side  of  Charles  Island,  took  its  name  from  the 
custom  establislied  by  tho  whalers  (before  it 
was  inhabited),  of  depositing  letters  in  a  box, 
placed  upon  a  post  for  tho  purpose ;  ' '  and 
homeward-bound  ships,"  says  Findlay,  in  his 
Soiilh  Piwijw  Jhirrlorij,  "examined  the  directions, 
taking  with  tlirm  all  which  they  might  have  the 
moans  of  forwarding."  A  similar  place  of  de- 
posit f(U'  letters  was  established  on  tho  island 
of  Juan  Foriiandez.  We  have  hoard,  too,  that 
a  letter-box  was  at  one  time  posted  on  tho 
island  of  New  Zealand. 


25-t  MAHINE    mammals    of    tub    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

captain's  ship,  which  familiar  sign  (especially  on  Sperm  Whale  ground)  is  readily 
understood  ;  and  when  the  boats  arc  lowered  for  the  chase,  the  visiting  captain 
takes  charge  of  the  mate's  boat  of  the  ship  ho  is  on  board,  and  the  executive  officer 
visiting  heads  the  captain's  boat.  If  successful  in  capturing  whales,  the  oil  they 
obtain  is  divided.  It  was  rarely,  however,  that  a  distant  signal  was  made  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  gamming ;  but  the  desire  for  letters  from  mothers,  fathers,  wives, 
children  and  other  relatives,  and  friends,  was  sometimes  irresistible.  During  these 
occasional  meetings,  not  onl}'  is  there  an  exchange  of  news  verbally,  but  also  an 
exchange  of  books  and  other  reading  matter  that  either  ship  can  supply.  It  is  a 
spirited  sight,  on  a  rough  sea  (or,  as  is  sometimes  said,  "when  too  rugged  to 
whale,  but  just  right  for  a  gam"),  to  watch  these  fragments  of  the  commercial 
world,  with  swelling  sails,  surging  over  the  breaking  waves,  until  brought  into 
close  communion ;  and  to  observe  the  formal  salutes  between  their  commanders, 
while  "speaking  ship;"  or,  if  they  are  old  acquaintances,  to  witness  the  boisterous 
and  hearty  mutual  greetings,  heralded  through  trumpets,  together  with  the 
general    desire    of    everyone    to    associate,    oven    for    an    hour,    with    some    person 

\  besides  his  comrades,  who  are  confined  with  him  on  his  own  reeling  deck.     Next  to 

the  joy  of  being  on  the  return  passage,  with  everything  full,  is  the  meeting  of  the 
old-time,  voyage -worn  whaleman,  with  a  ship  just  out  from  homo.  Letters  are 
received,  and  perhai)s  l)ooks  and  stores  of  other  reading  material,  fresh  to  them, 
after  having  been  borne  half-way  round  the  glo1)e,  for  the  space  of  six  months 
(l)erhaps  a  year),  are  ravenously  devoured;  and  a  hundred  and  one  inquiries  are 
made  about  "How  were  things  when  you  left  home?"  "What  was  the  price  of  oil 
and  bone?"  "Wore  any  new  ships  fitting  out?"  "Was  there  any  danger  of  a  war?" 
etc.  A  whole  day  was  often  spent  under  such  gladsome  circumstances;  and  the 
officers  and  men,  passing  and  repassing  to  each  other's  vessels,  always  observed 
the  same  rules  with  regard  to  changing  boats'  crews  as  did  their  superiors.  In 
these  pleasant  meetings,  no  efi'ort  was  spared  on  the  part  of  the  hosts  to  enter- 
tain tiiei'-  guests  mosc  hospitaltly.  The  cabin  table  was  spread  with  the  l)est  tlio 
ship  cotild   afi'ord  ;    many  a   plump  porker  of  Oceanica,   or  a  choice   terrapin   from 

1  the  Galapagos,  was  sacrificed,  and  a  general  feast  enjoyed  fore  and  aft."" 

In  the   course  of  these   prolonged  voyages,  there  was  hardly  a  ship's  company 

*It  may  bo  noted   that   boiuo   etiquette   was  orij,'inatecl    from    the   nature  of  the  work  when 

observctl  at   (ho  table,   peculiar  to  the   whulin;^  takin(»  oil,  their  outer  pannontH   nocesHarily  bo- 

Horvice,     where     all     apiieared     at     the     board  cominf,'  soiled.     Hence,  when  couiiui,'  to  the  table 

in    their    shirt  -  Hleeves  !     This   is    said    to    have  at  meal  time,  the  jacket  or  coat  was  thrown  aiiido. 


,..™i— -•* 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE -FISUERY.  255 

which  did  not  experience  many  changes ;  men  were  lost  through  casualties,  died  of 
disease,  deserted,  or  were  exchanged,  sometimes  discharged,  and  frequentl}-  a  smart 
3''outh  would  be  promoted  to  an  advanced  position  liofore  Jus  first  voyage  termi- 
nated. Anyone  who  gave  promise  of  the  requisites  for  a  good  whaleman  had  but 
little  difficulty  in  shipping  as  a  boat-steerer  on  the  second  voyage.  At  first,  as 
has  been  previously  stated,  the  colonial  whaling- craft  were  manned  almost  exclu- 
sively by  the  colonists  and  Indians ;  but  at  length  the  fleet  became  so  numerous, 
that,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  it  was  only  practicable  to  obtain  Americans  for  the 
principal  officers,  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company  being  made  up,  as  one  might  say, 
of  all  nations ;  and  not  luifrequently,  in  the  forecastle,  would  be  found  runaway 
American  youths  of  the  best  blood,  ambitious  farmers'  sons  from  the  interior,  who 
were  intent  on  becoming  sea-captains,  together  with  criminals  in  disguise,  and 
hapless  emigrants  from  the  old  country — Portuguese  from  the  Azores,  and  negroes 
from  the  Cape  de  Yerdes'"' — altogether  making  up  a  motley  crew,  which  could  only 
be  controlled  by  strict  discipline,  ifuch  has  been  written  about  the  duplicity  and 
sharp  dealing  of  the  owners  of  whaling  -  vessels,  and  the  heartless  severity  of 
whaling-captains;  but  it  is  found  that  the  authors  of  these  glaring  complaints 
were  usually  impracticable  or  discontented  characters,  who  went  drifting  about 
the  world  witli  no  fixed  purpose  of  action,  being  generally  dissatisfied  with  them- 
selves and  everyone  witli  whom  they  came  in  contact — more  especially  if  subjected 
to  their  control  ;  or  they  were  of  that  class  who  imagined  they  could  make  a  con- 
venience of  the  vessel  to  sail  around  the  world — their  chief  object  being  to  gratify 
their  curiosity  in  sight-seeing,  regardless  of  the  faithful  discnarge  of  their  duties  — 
or,  to  say  the  least,  they  took  no  interest  in  the  success  of  the  voyage ;  hence 
tlieir  view  of  everything  pertaining  to  whaling  presented  no  pleasing  features. 
Unfeeling  and  nnpiincipled  men  are  sometimes  found  holding  the  responsible  posi- 
tions of  mates  and  masters  of  whaling -vessels,  as  may  bo  found  in  all  other 
branches  of  the  marine  service;  l)ut  that  the  majority  of  whaling-masters  are 
unjust  and  tyrannical  to  those  under  their  command,  is  a  libel  on  their  humane 
characters.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  discontented  adventurer  regards  the  [irac- 
tical  discipline  on  shipboard  as  severe,  and  the  commanding  bearing  of  the  officers 
as  unnecessary.  On  the  other  hand,  the  officers,  who  have  learned  by  (heir  pro- 
tracted schooling  in  a  hardy  and  perilous  profession  that  the  success  of  the  voyage 

*It  liin  been  a  frcncvnl  custom  for  outward-  of  vpgctablps  niut  frcKli  in'ovisions;   (iiut  nt  Biich 

bound  whalers  to  call  at  the  Azores,  or  at  the  times  they   iiiado   up  their  complement  of  men, 

Cape  de  Yerdes,   if   the   Heas<in  of   the   year   was  if   full   crews   had   not    been    shipped   at    homo 

favorable,  for  the  jjurpouc  of  obtaining  supplies  jiorts. 


256  MARINE   MAMMALS    OF    THE    NOR'lH-WESTERN    COAST. 

depends  upon  the  prompt  performance  of  ull  duties,  and  they  hold  in  utter 
contempt  those  malcontents,  who,  as  faithful  Jack  terms  it,  "are  in  everybody's 
mess  and  in  nobody's  watch."  It  is  to  the  interest  of  the  commander  of  a 
whaler,  to  keep  his  crew  in  good  Ui^art  and  spirit ;  to  this  end  they  must  be  well 
fed,  and  otherwise  made  as  comfortable  as  circumstances  will  permit.  If  the.:e 
sanitary  measures  are  not  carried  out,  sickness  and  discontent  ensue,  which  defeat 
tlie  object  of  the  expedition.  On  an  average,  the  whale -ship's  company  is  not 
actually  on  duty  more  than  eight  hours  out  of  the  twenty -four,  and  they  are  pro- 
vided with  an  abundance  of  wholesome  and  substantial  food,  and  as  good  quarters 
as  the  vessel  will  afford.  If  duty  permits,  during  the  hours  from  four  to  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  all  hands,  except  those  immediately  engaged  in  sailing  the 
vessel,  are  allowed  to  amuse  themselves  in  any  way  they  please,  so  long  as  the 
ship  is  not  disgraced. 

When  cruising  for  whales,  the  day's  work  begins  and  ends  as  regularly  as  the 
sun  rises  and  sets;  and  a  vessel  engaged  in  sperm -whaling  may  remain  on  one 
cruising- ground  for  months  (sometimes  nearly  half  the  year)  without  "breaking 
black -skin" — a  whaler's  term  for  not  having  an  opportunity  to  harpoon  a  whale — 
and  with  nothing  to  change  the  monotony  of  the  surrounding  sea  and  sky  view, 
except  a  transient  sail,  or  some  consort,  who  may  have  been  more  fortunate  than 
herself,  sending  forth  the  signal  of  good  luck  in  wreaths  of  blackened  smoke  from 
the  try -works.  During  these  discouraging  times,  if  there  is  any  insubordinate 
element  in  human  nature,  it  is  very  sure  to  manifest  itself  in  no  mild  form  ;  and 
he  is  no  ordinary  man,  although  he  may  be  a  good  disciplinarian,  who  can 
command  and  maintain  implicit  obedience.  From  the  moment  the  captain  steps 
upon  the  quarter-deck,  until  the  voyage  terminates,  ho  loads  a  life  of  constant  care 
and  anxiety,  for  the  expedition  is  fraught  with  uncertainty  as  to  its  results ; 
moreover,  his  compensation  for  years  of  watchful  toil,  as  well  as  of  those  under 
his  command,  depends  entirely  upon  the  amount  of  cargo  gathered  from  the  ocean. 
And,  in  these  times  of  adversity,  the  indefatigable  qualilications  of  the  Ameri- 
can whaling- master  arc  promptly  brought  out;  for,  with  the  co-operation  of  the 
owner  at  home,  who  has  well  "fitted"  his  ship,  the  finale  of  the  voyage  is  crowned 
with  success.  A  landsman  can  not  imagine  the  disheartening  situation  of  the 
whalers,  after  months  of  watchfulness,  from  "sun  to  sun,"  when  not  even  the 
shadow  of  a  whale  is  seen;  but  when  the  spout  of  the  long- sought  prey  is  discov- 
ered in  the  distance,  and  the  welcome  cry  of  the  men  on  the  lookout  is  heard,  the 
ship,  fore  and  aft,  becomes  the  scene  of  hopeful  excitement.  All  hands  are  called 
—  or  they  are  already  on   deck  without  calling     orders  are  vehomontly  given  and 


fpp 


ifmmmKmmmitfii^mMiliii  nv  .ir- 


—"-f 


ij. 


«i'-""V     •  .■..■'A*- 


rni:   a.iiuu.  r^    h^uii.  fisui:  r 


\i-hoi'.    ill"    tin;''     '(i-ih  s    for  ■■i(i\\M'!i»';.     lo 
man   -i  li^  •  jjIh  •^.jrii^^iivjir  L?  ':■      'i.. 

rmpr.itci','  i   '  b.    i-  aic.  th.-  .»11V' 


\\\i'^      -''    ''hi  i't'1't     aid    --wn;!;.;;"     ^n  i 
i!rc>f.j-';d    \'^V<   thi'     .;ii''r    ,  it'i   I'vi  .  v 


:v.';  j<..  1   ■   •■  .^n,  :  s  a  ratO'jig,  >  t,:i 


■1.' 


■i. 


i  .I'ln  Iv  '.ik-i 


tLc  .^-  ■:■..  '-v^th   *\i.ii  hai>h,  rhti^..;^    .'■■•   ■•'    •V"  ^-     ^    ■ 


( 1  -:.'  i  1  V 


:••  i,.-;.  .'t 


!iU'(    :>    ijnVii.'il    oi'    !'li«(..iiy 


i      .SI),         .\\ 


,  C;  '.I. 

It     'i 


v-nv    .'nl  A.);-s    to    o^c;.lu;.   Lv   ;-.;iiiiM^   o  -v    'ho    mm  ^-ut    if    il.t-   s^a/ i!..;a    -i'  ...     !■> 

,;  .  ,1     lb         I     »,    -lilt      i<     '   <   !■ 


■h,;.,    ,    i  >    r.  '.>-.;    .r-     II..  '         •■!-    i'       ,  '■-  \\ 


iii  •\i'. 


(■r.ii^i 


I-.TUj-v.    1      Vl5     V. 


rliiud.    .■('  ^pii'V   i"     *i-  'iy.r 

a  ,'1     h  •   ;:ii]?kMii  •  !•.*    >v 

(,;;    t;;.     t'ul;; lag- Hl.i^f,  .;       ■-.     -I'li 


.;i,k..,    .It:. 


1 


■  '(■I-  Li.-*   mivf.  a 


nrt    Ihu   a.i   !\i;>i    i.      out'    ^.ti  i-ip.  i    <  1    n--     i 


1 


ir  ■  '.icai'fd   up,   ihi-  \r%  ■  v."i'\i  ■■  .<rv,   '  -iiarK.^l,     :•'! 
.  *'j>i'>i-a!     .  '  ■     " 

■  ii(i    ;hai    ill     It,"  ■^-•s 

riia^     )  ll!;.     i"    a     ^     v'.-iv-'i' 
II   ul,     ili-.i'    '  ''0       Illll.f'U     il'i.i; 

■:;aaui'  ;    'n''   ''Jiy  marni     .ii.. 
(  iriiiK   r\.  I  ..  .       U   ii'-c.  wacii     .     1 
U:liilitai|;.    '!):■:.    uai'iy    'I    V  I    !    '  .• 
'-ti'ifo    I'l'   .'•<:-ii'   boul -hoU'If !        ■        i- 


■   ;.t|d    liii  ii-      I;.  ■    ^!i:i.l;'-    A      '  ■     '•  1    ••11;  ■ 
,  u,    .  u  '     -••i\^i!..,     i^v  '1.    J;  .•!:     -  ^    va,  li 

..    ;i  '  '  111,  ' 


t,    ' ' 


Sllil,     ' 


..    ,i!   '        I      ,  '■  l' 

iM^!!      '^   ■  '  it,''        i.il 


iii'i  li  '  M  1  ".ou 


uni"   i 


■p'M 

Jill'      ii'    ;":lr 
I   I,'      lip?    ' 


a,,'    »';.      '  i.'cn    •'-;.. I'iivl'    ilu^n^    » 


nri 


,>!■   !m    I    !-■    ;-t.;k^,'    I'H'      >  ':'!''         ^ 


ujxluru  til.!,    -^t-ao    'vf  ,;ra;.'     -^'11    Uar.lv  .M-t    :uiu  ■' ..|>iu,^;t!.'P   '^hsOi;; 


-^."■"V""  -  jsmw^^a^mf^mi^^mmiK^mmmmfm^mfiummm 


■-  -  * 


It 


•w 


V-' 


i 


■r   ■^». 


-tfe^ 


.*»*•„..., . 


■    A--. 


•f 


,  Kf 


f^J 


■_^r-;;*r^,.r 


■MkiaUtti^iilii 


THE    AMERICAN    WIIALE-FIiSUERY.  257 

responded  to.  The  boats  are  in  readiness;  they  are  "hoisted  and  swung;"  and 
when  the  time  comes  for  "lowering,"  they  are  dropped  into  the  water  with  every 
man  in  his  place.  Springing  to  the  oars,  the  boats  bound  over  tlio  waves  ;  and  in 
approaching  the  whale,  the  officer  of  the  boat  in  advance  carefully  "cons"  his  little 
craft,  and  orders  the  "harpooniersman"  by  word  or  motion,  to  stand  ready,  with  his 
weapon  poised,  as  a  rattling,  rippling  sound  is  heard,  and  a  huge  black  form  breaks 
the  water,  with  the  harsh,  ringing  noise  of  its  first  respiration.  Instantly  the  deadly 
spear  flies  from  ready  hands,  and  plunges  into  the  manunoth  creature.  Tiie  water 
is  lashed  into  a  pyramid  of  bloody  foam,  the  boat  is  "fast,"  and  the  whale  in 
vain  endeavors  to  escape  by  running  over  the  surface  of  the  sea,  then  diving  to 
tiie  depths  below  ;  but  its  human  pursuers  still  cling  to  the  line  attached  to  the 
fatal  harpoon.  The  whale  rises  again  to  the  surface,  in  some  degree  exhausted. 
Another  boat  approaches,  and  darts  its  murderous  weapons,  and  the  pursuit  is  con- 
tinued with  renewed  vigor.  When,  at  last,  a  vital  part  is  pierced,  the  animal 
deeply  crimsons  its  pathway  with  its  remaining  life-blood,  and  lashes  the  sea  into 
clouds  of  spniy  in  its  dying  contortions.  Then  follow  wild  cheers  by  the  crews  in 
the  boats  ;  while  the  ship  bears  down  under  reduced  sail,  and  the  whale  is  secured 
by  the  ponderous  fluke -chain.  The  boats  are  again  hoisted,  and  all  hands  are  on 
board.  Everyone  is  cheerful,  and  works  with  a  will;  up  goes  the  cutting- gear, 
and  the  implements  are  in  rea<Uness  for  cutting- in  the  whale.  The  officers  being 
on  the  cutting -stage,  a  few  strokes  with  their  spades,  and  the  order  is  given  to 
"heave  away."  The  men  at  the  windlass  heave  around  checril}',  to  the  tune  of  a 
boisterous  song,  and  the  animal  is  soon  stripped  of  its  rich  covering;  the  decks 
are  cleaned  up,  the  try-works  are  "started,"  and  under  the  smoke  of  the  torching 
scrap-fire,  amid  the  din  of  the  cooper's  hammer  preparing  the  oil-casks,  and  the 
general  hum -drum  incident  to  boiling  out  and  stowing  down.  Jack  spins  his  yarns 
of  past  exploits,  savoring  of  good  luck  and  thrilling  adventures. 

We  have  said  that  ill  success  brings  its  accompanying  evils,  which  the  captain 
is  obliged  to  contend  with ;  for,  sometimes,  wiien  the  whales  are  found  in 
plenty,  through  the  selfish  maneuvering  of  some  officer  with  his  boat's  crew,  the 
chase  may  be  a  fruitless  one.  Good  whalemen  are  full  of  the  sportsman's  spirit  ; 
and,  like  the  buffalo  hunters  of  the  plains,  they  have  no  passion  to  pursue  small 
game  ;  and  any  marine  animals  inferior  to  the  whale  fail  to  lure  them  into  the  ex- 
citing chase.  Hence,  when  in  hot  pursuit,  the  impulse  to  become  the  captors  is  so 
tempting,  that  many  a  valuable  whale  has  been  "gallied,"  through  the  reckless 
strife  of  some  boat -header,  in  his  efforts  to  be  first  to  strike  tlie  animal.  A  more 
unfortunate   state   of  affairs  can  hardly  exist  than  "opposition  whaling"  by  officers 

Mauihe  Haumau},— 3.1. 


I 


258  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

of  the  samo  ship  ;  and  in  some  cases  it  has  been  found  indispensably  necessary  to 
keep  a  willful  and  refractory  officer's  boat  "on  the  cranes,"  in  order  that  the  other 
boats  may  engage  in  tiie  chase  harmoniously.  This  measure  generally  brings  the 
guilty  party  to  his  senses,  for  a  more  summary  punishment  could  not  be  adminis- 
tered to  a  game  whaleman  than  to  be  kept  on  board  as  an  idle  spectator  of  the 
exciting  pursuit  and  capture. 

Sperm  whaling  is  chiefly  prosecuted   within  the  temperate   latitudes,  and   often 
in  (he  heated  atmospliere  of  the  torrid  zone;    but  the   Right   and   Polar  Whales  are 
liunted   almost  exclusively  about  the  frozen  oceans   of  the  world,   both  north  .and 
j  south.      In  former  years,   however,  these   great  animals  were  found   in  vast  numbers 

within  the  temperate  zones  ;  but  the  work  of  the  harpoon  and  lance,  by  tiie  com- 
bined whaling -fleets  of  Europe  and  America,  has  long  ago  nearly  annihilated  those 
species  inhabiting  the  middle  water -belts  of  the  northern  and  southern  oceans,  and 
at  tiie  present  day  the  animals  are  driven  to  their  remotest  haunts  in  ice-bound 
seas.  The  principal  field  of  pursuit  for  the  whalebone  whales,  exclusive  of  the 
rorquals,  is  along  the  icy  barrier  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Here  the  ships  cruise  from 
the  time  the  field -ice  opens,  until  the  October  snows  and  gales  drive  them  from 
that  gloomy  coast,  which  is  strewn  witii  wrecks  and  records  of  disaster.  The 
positions  of  the  ofiicers  of  an  Arctic  wliale-ship,  as  well  as  those  of  the  crew,  are 
no  sinecure.  "Standing  mast-heads''  in  the  biting  cold,  which  is  varied  by  storms 
of  sleet  and  dismal  fogs — constantly  on  the  watch,  not  only  for  whales,  but  for 
the  treacherous  movements  of  the  ice-fields  or  bergs — is  a  tedious  duty,  of  inordi- 
nate exposure  ;  j'et,  of  the  whole  company,  the  captain's  work  is  the  most  arduous, 
for  on  him  i-ests  the  greatest  responsibilit}',  and  he  must  be  on  the  alert  both  night 
and  day,  being  aloft  on  the  lookout  more  hours  than  any  of  his  oflicers.  On 
leaving  the  frozen  regions,  the  whaler  wends  his  way  southward  through  adverse 
galos  ;  if  favored  with  leading  winds,  he  seeks  the  most  desirable  port,  where  the 
needful  supplies  of  fresh  provisions  can  be  obtained,  and  a  few  weeks  of  relaxation 
and  amusement  for  the  crew  may  be  enjo3-ed  on  shore.  By  far  the  most  noted 
'  resort  for  supplies  in   the  northern  hemisphere  was  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands  ;  ^-et 

!  Ililo   and   Maui,    of  the   same  group,  were   frequently  resorted  to.     Here,  the  genial 

V  )i  climate  anu    fruitful   soil,  which   yielded  abundantly  the  needful  "recruits,"  and  the 

open,  easy  life  of  the  natives,  caused  it  to  become  a  favorite  place  for  the  whalers 
to  congregate.  The  brief  time  of  "giving  liberty"  and  "recruiting  ship"  being  over, 
a  short  winter  cruise  called  the  "line  season"  may  be  made  about  the  equator,  for 
Sperm  Whales ;  or  the  vessel  may  go  to  the  coast  of  California,  to  engage  in 
"bay -whaling,"   or  "kelp -whaling."     In  either  case,  the  ships  usually  touch  again 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  259 

at  sonic  port  to  obtain  fresh  supplieh ;  and  sometimes  the  season's  catch  of  oil  is 
discharged  or  reshipped  before  she  returns  to  the  Arctic  cruising-grounds.  Cali- 
fornia bay  and  kelp  whaling  has  been  a  peculiar  feature  of  the  fishery.  The  whales 
tliere  pursued  are  a  distinct  species  of  tlie  baleen  tribe,  whose  natural  history  is 
given  in  this  work,  under  the  head  of  "Tiie  California  Gray  Wliale."  They  are  tlio 
most  dangerous  of  all  whales  to  attack,  and,  compared  with  the  number  of  ships 
which  formerly  engaged  in  their  capture,  more  casualties  have  occurred  than  in 
any  other  brancii  of  whaling,  many  men  having  lost  their  lives,  while  others  have 
been  irrecoverably  crippled.  But  we  have  never  yet  learned  of  any  place  of  resort 
for  whales  which  can  possibly  bo  approached,  either  liy  ship  or  boat,  that  has  not 
been  the  scene  of  slaughter  by  their  liuman  captors.  Many  whaling-masters— after 
buffeting  tlie  gales  and  ice  of  the  Arctic  regions— have  hurriedly  fled  to  this 
inland  whaling -ground  on  the  California  coast,  and  in  order  to  reach  the  most 
advantageous  localities,  far  up  the  shallow  estuaries,  lightened  and  careened  their 
vessels,  and  by  means  of  their  heavy  ground- tackle  forced  them  across  shoals 
which  were  nearly  bare  at  low  tide.  The  difiiculty  and  danger  connected  with 
this  fishery  seems  to  have  lured  on  many  a  reckless  and  venturesome  spirit  to  the 
encounter,  which  has  been  appropriately  named  "devil -fishing,"  and  the  successful 
whaler  is  christened  a  good  "devil -fisherman.'  While  engaged  for  six  years  in 
whaling,  sealing,  and  Sea  Elephant  expeditions  upon  the  coast  of  California  and 
Mexico,  we  passed  the  winter  seasons  in  lagoon  or  bay  whaling,  and  our  experience 
in  the  capture  of  the  California  Grays  may  serve  as  an  outline  picture  of  whaling- 
iife  in  those  inland  waters. 

LAGOON -WHALING. 

When  arrived  in  the  lagoons,  a  suitable  anchorage  is  selected,  and  the  ship  is 
moored  for  the  season;  the  heavy  sails  are  unbent,  and  much  of  the  running 
rigging  unrove,  landed  and  housed  under  canvas,  together  with  shooks,  spare 
lumber,  etc.,  so  as  to  clear  the  ship  of  cum'>»rsome  materials  not  required  until 
the  vessel  is  nearly  filled  with  oil  or  the  se^^on  is  over.  The  "tender"  is  fitted 
for  cutting- in  the  whales,  the  cutting-gear  of  the  ship  is  sent  aloft,  and  with  the 
cutting- stage  placed  over  the  side,  preparations  for  the  slaughter  are  completed. 
When  sufficient  numbers  have  assembled  at  the  head -waters  of  th'i  estuaries,  the 
boats  are  lowered  in  pursuit.  A  cow  with  a  young  calf  is  usually  selected,  so 
that  the  parent  animal  may  be  easily  struck  ;  yet  the  race  is  sometimes  so  pro- 
longed as  to  nearly  exhaust  the  boats'  crews ;  and  when  at  last  the  creature  lags, 


260  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

J  su   that   lior   tircu   on'spriiig   may   keep   near,  thereby   presenting   the   opportunity  to 

I     I  the   "harpconicrsniau"    lo   thrust   efTectivol}'  with   his   weapon,    tlio   murderous  blow 

often  causes  the  animal  to  recoil  in  its  anguish,  aud  give  a  swoop  of  its  ponderous 
flukes,  or  a  toss  of  its  head,  which,  coming  in  contact  with  the  boat,  produces  a 
general  wreck,  and  more  or  less  injiu'y  to  the  men,  In  the  win*^er  of  185G,  we 
were  wluiling  about  the  atcros  of  Magdalena  ]?ay,  where,  in  attacking  sixteen 
wliales,  two  lioat;  were  entirely  de.-troyed,  while  the  others  were  staved  fifteen 
times ;  and  out  of  eighteen  men  who  oflicered  and  manned  tlicm,  six  were  badly 
jarred,  one  had  both  legs  broken,  anolher  lluve  ribs  fractured,  and  still  another 
'  \\a^   so   much    injured    iuteriially   that   ho   was    anablc    to    perform   duty    during  tho 

rest  of  the  voyage.  'VU  tiiese  serious  casualties  iiappened  before  a  single  whale 
was  captured.  However,  after  a  few  days'  rest,  while  the  boats  were  being 
repaired  and  new  ones  fitted  1 1  take  tho  place  of  those  destro3-ed,  tlie  contest  with 
tlio  ''Devil-tish"  was  again  renewed,  and  with  successful  results.  Several  whales 
were  taken  without  accident,  and  no  serioun  casualty  occurred  during  tho  rest  of 
the  season. 
f  During  the   spriiig  arid    summer   montlis    of    1857,    we   were   engaged   with   the 

'  brig    Jjostnn    in    whaling,    sealing,  and    Sea   Klephant    hiniting,    but   with    i'l   success. 

Tho  crew  was  .•^hipped  for  eight  months  (ml}'  ;  hence  we  would  hiive  boon  ol)liged 
to  return  to  port  with  nearly  an  empty  vessel,  had  not  nearly  all  the  ,nen  volun- 
teered to  engage  for  the  winter  season,  rather  than  leave  the  vessel,  penniless. 
Only  three  men  desired  to  leave  the  b>rig,  who  were  lai  ded  at  Santa  Barbara. 
Having  previously  ascertained  tiiat  a  large  lagiou  branched  from  the  Bay  of  San 
'  Sebastian  Viscaino  (heretofore  urknown  to  whalers),  where  tiie  California  Grays,  in 

'  the   season,  probalil}'  resorted,  a   .'I'.'.ill   schooner  as   a   tender,  with   men  to   increase 

our  <leli'ient  ship'->  company,  was  dispatched  from  San  l-'rancisco,  aud  joined  tho 
brig  at  the  appoip.teil  place  of  rendezvous,  in  the  snug  harbor  of  Caialina  Island. 
All  being  in  riadiiioss,  both  vessels  sailed,  the  la.st  of  November,  1857,  for  the  new 
whaliiig-grounil.  Notl,in;jc  of  special  int(>ri>st  transpired  until  we  arrived  olV  our 
I  first    landmark — now    known    as    Lagoon    or    Safety    Head.      Under    this    laml    both 

1;  vessels    anchored    for    the    ni^ht.      On    the    following    day,    tliree    boats    and    tho 

f  tender  were  dispatched  to  explore  tlie  coast  to  the  southward,  and  "sound  o'lt"  the 

channel  into  the  lagoon.  Two  days  jiassed,  when  a,  messenger  returned  wit!\  tho 
report  thai,  the  tender  had  entered  th(>  (>stuary  without,  diiliculty,  and  that  thco 
was  suflicient  dei)lh  of  water  on  the  bar  for  the  brig  to  pas.s  over.  It  was  after- 
nunn  ))efore  we  got  und(M-  way.  A  brisk  bi'(>e/.e  was  blowing,  and  wouM  have  car- 
rieil    us   to   a   land-locketl    liarlxu'   l)efore   evening,   had   it  not  failed  us  when  vicarly 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE -FISUEliY.  261 

on  the  shoalest  part   of  the   entrance,  obliging  both  vessels  to  anchor — the  tender 
having  previously  joined   us.      Night   came   on,  dark  and  misty  ;   and  as  the  tedious 
liouiH  wore  away,  an  increasing  heavy  swell  rolled  in,  breaking  fitfully  around  both 
brig  and   schooner.      Nothing   could   relieve    us    from    our    perilous    situation   but   a 
strong  land-breeze,  to  take  the  vessels  back  to  the  first  anchorage  or  to  sea.      Not 
a  soul  on  board  slept  during  tluit  night.      A   light   puff  of  wind,  at   long   intervals, 
came  through  the   mouth   of   the  lagoon,  each  time   giving   us   hope   for  the  desired 
land-breeze;   l)ut   it   only  increased   the   dismal  sound   of  the   angry  surf  as  it  beat 
upon    the    sandy    shores.      At   dry'jght,   a   gentle   air   came   in    from    seaward,   when 
signal  was   made   for   both  vessels   to   got   under  way  ;    but  before  the   anchors  were 
lifted,   it    fell    calm    again,    and    near    noon    the    wind    came    from    the     northward, 
wlien    we    were    quickly    under    all    sail,    and    soon    passed    through    the    turbulent 
passage,  and  cast  anchor  behind  a  sheltered  point  of  the  lagoon.      It  was  too  early 
to   connnencc   whaling;   and    l)oing   short   of  wood   to   last   througli    tlie   season,  IIk 
time   and    opportunity  were   improved  to   obtain   a  supply  from  the  wreck  of  a  ship 
which    lay    strewn    about    the    contiguous    ocean    sliore.      To    reach    the    "wooding" 
place,  it  was   necessary  to   land   inside  the  passage   and   go   some  distance  along  the 
beach,   as   no   boat    could    approach    from    the    outer    coast.      One    dfi}    having   been 
spent  in   preparing   the   fuel,  another    was   expected   to  be   ample  time  to  put  it  on 
board.     All    the   boats   engaged   in    transporting   it   were   moored    near    the   shore   in 
the   lagoon,   and   left   iu   charge    of   a   boat-keeper,   it    being    impracticable    to    haul 
them   up   at   high   tide   on   account   of  the   broad,  flat   beach   exposed  at  low  water. 
All  the  wooding  party  being  out  of  sight  when  at  tlie  wreck,  the  boat- keeper  con- 
cluded to   refresh    himself  by  a  lialh,  and  conceived   the   idea   of  converting   one  of 
the  boats  into  a  bath-tul),   liy  pulling  out  the   plug  in  tlie  bottom.      The  boa*^.  soon 
became  water-logged,  and  the  fellow,  carelessly  enjoying   his   ablutions,  got  too    far 
to   one   side   of  tlie   critn,    which    instantly   capsized,    turning   him    into    the    lagoon. 
The  current  running  swiftly,  dragg(>d   ilie  anchor,  and  the  man,  in   his  fright,  swam 
to   the   .shore,  abandoning   his   lioat,  to   wlu  h    three   others   were   fast,  and   all   four 
went  drifting  out  of  the  passage.      The  alarm  was  given  to  the  party  on  shore,  and 
it  was  a  disheartening  sight  to  behold  the  four  boats  drifting  through  the  breakers, 
for   everyone   knew  that  witlumt  tuem   our   voj-ago  would  be   fruitless.      There  were 
several  Kanakas  among  the  crew,  who   immediately  saw  the   necessity  of  saving  the 
boats;   and  selecting  pieces   of  plank,   to  he  used  as  "'surf- boards,'    put  off  through 
the   rollers   to   rescue  them.      Our   carpenter  was  an    expert   swimmer ;   and  as   soon 
as   lie   saw  the  boats   drifting   iiloiig   the   shore   into    the    lireakcrs,  he   threw  off  his 
dollies,    plung<>d   into   the    surf,   and    had    nearly   reached    them,    when    the    anelitir, 


2(52  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTER .f   COAST. 

S  which   hiul   bcoii   dragging  all   tho   while,   brought   up,   and   the   •■urr.^'mt   swept   both 

1  tho  carpenter  and  Kanakas  out  of  reach.      They  tlien  made  for  the  shore,  which  all 

i  of  tlio'u   regained    in   an    exhausted   condition,  excejj^t  the  cairpentt^r,  who  was  n    •er 

seen  again.  The  officor-s  present,  with  a  p(M't'on  of  the  cr<3ir.  wt>ii»'  so  mue\\  dis- 
couraged that  they  gave  up  all  liopes  of  re3|5i*.ining  the  boats,  and  tO'ponlj  avowed 
that  our  anticipated  successful  voyage  must  be  abandoned.  Peimission  was  asked 
to  go  in  search  of  the  tender,  which  was  engaged  in  sounding  out  the  channel 
of  the  lagocm,  th«tt  those  on  board  might  be  advised  of  tlio  disaster  and  come  to 
our  relief,  as  we  could  not  return  to  the  brig  for  the  want  of  a  boat  —  the  tender 
liaving  tlie  onl}'  one  left  between  the  two  vessels.  Tlieir  request  was  granted, 
!  while  the   rest   of  the   crew  remained  with   me   at    tlie   site   of  the  ill-fated   wreck; 

they  were  immediately  directed  to  take  stations  along  the  beadi,  and  watch  for  the 
carpenter's  remains  and  for  the  re -appearance  of  the  bo;  '.■.  It  was  near)/  low  tide 
when  the  catastrophe  occurred,  and  we  had  a  faint  ,i')j)e  that  the  cliange  of  the 
flood  would  bring  some  of  the  boats,  even  in  a  wrecked  condition,  back  or  near 
to  the  pa^slge  of  tiu'  lagoon.  It  was  liut  a  short  tinv  aifter  fhe  hx/koiits  were 
stationed,   before   a   hawk-eyed   youngster,    who    had    climbed   a  '        '     rep^yftcd 

\  that    a    boat    was    in    sight;     vhen    the    preconcerted    signal    was    givi.-u.    and    in    a 

moment  a  dozen  men,  at  tlie  risk  of  their  lives,  grappled  it  in  the  sur-f.  and 
dragged  it  far  beyond  high -water  mark  They  had  hardly  accomplislied  the  feat, 
before  another  appeared,  which,  in  a  few  moments,  drifted  within  reach,  and  was 
soon   placed  beside  the   first   one;   a  third   appcanMi,  was   .seized,  and    (jiiickly  trans- 

\  ported  l)eyond  the  other  two,  with  a   .spontaneous   (dieer  from  the  men.  for  all  now 

knew  that  our  means  of  rescue,  and  for  pursuing  tho  whales  —which  had  already 
apjieared  in  large  numbers  —  were  restored  to  us.  Toward  evening,  the  party  that 
went  in  search  of  tlie  tender  returned  ;    but   it  was  late  in  the  night  b<'lV)re  all  the 

I  '  men  were   embarked,  when   we   returned    to   the   brig,  tired  and  dejected   over  the 

day's  disasters,  involving  the  loss  of  a  favorite  shipmate. 

1  ji  At   an   early   hour   on  the   following   day,  all    humls  tliat   could  l»o  spared  from 

,\-  •  the   vessel   were   busily   employed    in    transporting   tlie   boats   along   tho   beach    to   a 

,  j  place  where  they  could  be  launched  into  the  lagoon  ;   but  it  required  throe  days  to 

,  complete   tho   transportation   of  boats  and    fuel.      Meanwhile,    a   vigilant   search   was 

made  for  tho  body  of  tho  carpenter;    but   no  traces   of  it  could  bo  found.      As  tho 

I  '  last  of  th«'  wood  came  alongside,  a  norther  broke  upon  us  in  all  it,s  fury,  and  both 

vessels  Htruck  adrift,  Iiut  were  brought  up  l)y  their  anchors.  On  tlie  third  day 
tho  gale  al)at('<l,  when  tlie  brig  and  iier  con,sort  made  the  best  of  their  way  up  to 
the  head  of  the  hitherto  unexplored  waters.     Here  the  whales  w(  ic   f(jund  in  great 


umak 


THE    AMERICAN    '.  HALE  -  FISHERY.  20 3 

numbers.  On  the  next  clay  tlio  boats  were  sent  in  pursuit,  and  two  large  cows 
were  captured  without  difTiculty,  which  gave  all  hands  confidence  in  our  ultimate 
success.  Early  the  next  morning,  the  boats  were  again  in  eager  pursuit;  but 
before  the  animal  was  struck,  it  gave  a  dash  with  its:  flukes,  staving  the  boat  into 
fragments,  and  sending  the  crew  in  all  directions.  One  man  had  his  log  broken, 
another  had  an  arm  fractured,  and  three  others  were  more  or  less  injured — the 
officer  of  the  boat  being  the  only  one  wlio  escaped  unharmed.  The  relief  boat, 
while  rescuing  the  wounded  men,  was  also  staved  by  a  passing  whale,  leaving  only 
one  boat  afloat.  T  le  tender  being  near  at  hand,  however,  a  boat  from  that  vessel 
rendered  assistance,  and  all  returned  to  tlie  brig.  When  the  first  boat  arrived 
with  her  freight  of  crippled  passengers,  it  could  only  be  compared  to  a  floating 
ambulance  crowded  with  men  —  the  uninjured  supporting  the  lielpless.  As  soon  as 
they  reached  the  vessel,  those  who  were  maimed  were  placed  on  mattresses  upon 
the  quarter-deck,  while  others  hobbled  to  their  quarters  in  the  forecastle.  Tiie 
next  boat  brought  with  it  the  remains  of  the  two  others,  which  were  complete 
wrecks.  Every  attention  was  given  to  the  wounded  men,  their  )ji-oken  limbs  were 
set,  cuts  and  bruises  were  carefully  dressed,  and  all  the  injured  were  made  as 
comfortable  as  our  situation  would  permit ;  but  the  vessel,  for  several  days,  was 
a  contnicted  and  crowded  hospital.  During  this  time  no  whaling  was  attempted, 
ns  nearly  half  of  tiie  crew  were  unfit  for  duty,  and  a  largo  portion  of  the  rest 
were  demoralized  b}'  fright.  After  several  days  of  rest,  however,  two  boat's  crews 
were  selected,  and  the  pursuit  was  renewed.  The  men,  on  leaving  the  vessel,  took 
to  the  oars  apparently  with  as  much  spirit  as  ever  ;  but  on  nearing  a  whale  to  be 
harpooned,  they  all  jumped  overboard,  leaving  no  one  in  tiie  Ijoat,  except  the 
boat-lieader  and  the  boat-stecrer.  On  one  occasion,  a  bulivy  deserter  from  the 
U.  S.  Army,  who  had  boasted  of  liis  daring  exploits  in  the  Elorida  War,  made  a 
headlong  plinigo,  as  he  supposed,  into  the  water  ;  but  he  landed  on  the  flukes  of 
tlio  whale,  fortunately  receiving  no  injury,  as  tlie  animal  settled  gently  under 
water,  tliereby  ridding  itself  of  tho  human  parasite. 

It  was  useless  to  attempt  whaling  with  men  who  were  so  completely  panic- 
stiieken  ;  and  tho  oflieers  and  boat-sieerers  combined  could  not  muster  the  com- 
plemeut  to  man  two  boats.  Our  situation  was  both  singular  and  drying.  Tlie 
vessel  lay  in  perfect  security  in  sm.ooth  water;  and  the  objects  of  pursuir,  which 
iiad  l)een  so  anxiously  souglil,  were  now  in  countless  nunil)ers  about  u:.  It  was 
readily  to  be  seen  that  it  was  impossible  to  capture  the  whales  in  tlu'  us  lal  minm(>r 
with  our  present  company,  and  no  otliers  could  be  obtained  before  the  season 
would  bo  over.     Among  ilie  ofReers  there  wore  two  wiio  had  been  considered  good 


2G-1  MARINE    3IAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

sliots  with  the  Vionib- lance  gun,  one  of  whom  we  personally  know  to  be  unequalod 
as  a  marksniun.  There  seemed  to  be  but  one  way  to  successfully  capture  these 
spriuhtly  animals,  and  that  was  by  using  tlic  bomb -lance.  The  officers  were  called 
togethvi',  and  the  matter  plainly  set  before  them ;  the  best  marksmen  were 
selected,  and  informed  that  if  they  could  kill  a  whale  withouL  expending  more 
than  three  luiuli- lances,  our  supply  was  ample  to  insure  a  "full  ship."  Tiiey 
were  then  directed  to  place  tlieir  boats  on  the  side  of  the  narrowest  channel  in 
the  lagoon,  near  where  tlie  whales  passed,  but  in  shallow  water,  so  that  tliey 
could  not  possiltly  roacli  the  boat,  and  there  wait  until  one  would  come  within 
gunshot.  Tiie  idea  was  a  novel  one,  and  to  old  whalemen  it  seemed  impracticable. 
Tiiree  1  .)ats  were  at  once  dispatched  —  two  j)repared  for  shooting,  and  the  tliird  as 
a  relief  l)oat  in  case  of  emergency.  They  took  tlieir  positions  as  ordered,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  tlu'ee  wliales  iiad  been  "bombed" — the  third  one  was  killed 
instantly  and  secured.  On  returning  to  tiie  vessel,  the  officers  reported  their  good 
luck  ;  and  on  the  following  day  they  were  again  dispatched,  but  with  instructions 
to  lirst  board  the  tender,  and  take  a  look  from  her  mast-head  for  the  whales  that 
had  been  Ijonibed  the  day  previous,  as  we  confidently  e.-pected  that  either  one,  or 
both,  would  be  found  dead  not  far  from  where  they  were  shot.  It  was  a  pleasant 
•surprise  to  tli,'  cliief  officer,  wlien,  on  going  iiaU'-way  uj)  the  tender's  rigging,  both 
whales  were  seen  lloating  dead  near  the  liead  of  the  lagoon ;  and  no  time  was 
lost  in   securing  then). 

From  that  time,  whaling  was  prosecuted  without  serious  interruption.  When- 
ever a  whale  was  wanted,  one  or  two  boats  were  sent  off,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  reports  of  the  guns  would  be  heard,  wliich  lieralded  a  capture,  witiiout 
the  staving  of  bo.its  or  injury  to  the  men.  The  try-works  were  incessantly  iscpt 
going  —  with  liio  exception  of  a  day,  now  and  tiien,  when  it  became  necessary  to 
"cool  down,"  in  order  to  stow  ;  way  the  oil  and  clear  the  decks — until  tiie  last 
cask  was  filled.  Nor  did  we  stop  then  ;  for  one  side  of  tiic  after- cabin  was 
turned  into  a  bread-locker,  and  the  empty  bread-casks  filled  with  oil;  and  the 
mincing- tubs  were  fitted  with  heads,  and  filled,  as  well  as  the  coolers  and  deck- 
])ots  ;  and.  last  of  all.  the  try-pots  were  cooled,  and  filled  as  full  of  oil  as  it  was 
tiiouglit  (iiey  could  hold  without  .slopping  over  in  a  rough  sea.  Both  vessels 
liaving  lieen  literally  crammed  with  oil,  a  few  days  were  spent  ie.  cleaning  and 
washing  ship,  and  getting  ready  for  sea.  Our  supply  of  fresh  wa'er  was  bccomiujj 
reduced  ;  but  as  it  was  only  about  fifty  miles  from  thj  lagoon  to  the  watering- 
place  on  (,'erroH  Island,  and  having  in  former  voyages  obtained  fresh  w.iter  at 
Magdalena  Day,  l)y  digging  wells  in  the  sand- beaches,  a  few  yarda  from  high-water 


TEE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  2G5 

mark,   wc   gave    our.^olvcs   little    anxiety    about    the    needed    supply,   should    wo   be 
unavoidably  detained  in  the  lagoon. 

All    being    in    readiness,   we    took    advantage    of   a   light    morning  air   to  work 
down  toward  "the  bar;   but  the  fresh  sea-breeze   soon  after  setting  in,  compelled  us 
to   anchor  ;   and   a  tedious  week  was   passed  Ix  fore  we   reached  the   sandy  heads  of 
the    estuary.      The    change    of   the    moon    brouglit   with    it   adverse    gales    from    the 
norlh-west,  and  an  accompanying  heavy  sea,  which  broke  "feather -white"   seaward, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  discern  from  the  mast-head,  precluded    all  attempts,  daring 
such  weather,  to   pass    the   bar   and   work   tlie   vessels   across   the   open   bay  of   San 
Sel)astian  Yiscaino,    to   Cerros   Island.      Day   after   day   we  anxiously    waiched   for   a 
favorable   change  ;    but  two  weeks   passed  away  before  the  wind   nu)derated.      ^fcan- 
while,    our   supply   of   water   had   become    so    reduced,    as   to   compel    us   to   put   all 
hands'   on   an   allowance   of  one   pint   a   day.      As   soon  as  the  gale  had  settled  into 
a   strong  breeze,  we  at  once   made   every  eflbrt  to  get  to  sea,  even  un  lor  shortened 
sail.      The   brig   and   tender,    having   laid   at   amdior   for   nu.nths,   became   very   l\)ul, 
and   for   this   reason   made   their   way   at   a    snail's    pace   through   the   lireakers   that 
still    surrounded    us,   and    while    the   vessels   were   passing   over    the    sIuiUonv   water, 
their  keels  stirred  the  sandy  bottom,  so  that  their  wakes  were  whitened  for  a  long 
distance   astern.      U   last  we   passed   the   bar,  and   felt    that  we  were   once   more   at 
sea,  or.  at  least,   clear   of  the   shoals,   which   presented   a    forbidding   barrier   to   the 
ingress  or  egress  of  those   inland  waters;   but,  as  niglit  appr..a.'hed,  the  wind  again 
increased  to  a  gale,  and  a  heavy,  breaking  sea  continually  washed    over  the  vessels, 
from    stem    to    talVrail.      Early    the    following    mnrning.    we   were    well    up    to    the 
watering-place   at   Cerro-    but   nearly   the  whole   day   was   spent   before   we   gained 
the   andioragc,   and   we     lad   barely   time   to   make    all    snug    bef..rc    the    gale    burst 
upon  us  with  increased  fury,  and  conlinued  for  two  days.      As  soon  as  it  abated,  a 
boat    was    dispatched    for   an    immediate    supply   of   water.      Here   we   renvained    for 
several   days,  employed    in   recleaning   ship   and    in   oldaining  wood   and  water,  after 
which    wo    sot    sail    for    Sau    Francisco,    where    we    arrived    in    due    time,    with    the 
vessel  so  deeply  laden   that    h.>r   scuppers  were  washed  by  the   rippling  tide.     Thus 
ended  a  voyage  which  in  no  small  d  -gree  was  a  novel  one. 

LAr;oox-wiiAUNa  incidents. 

The  following  season  found  us  again  in  the  lagoon,  with  a  little  scp.adron  of 
vessels,  consisting  .-f  one  bark  an.l  two  small  schooners.  Althougli  this  newly 
discovered    whaling-ground    was    dillicult    of  approach,   and   but    very    little    known 

Maiiini:  Mammals-  31. 


-2M  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    XORTII-WESTEllN    COAST. 

abroad — and  ospocl.illy  tlic  channel  which  led  to  it — yet,  soon  after  onr  arrival, 
a  large  fleet  of  ships  hovered  for  weeks  ofr  the  entrance,  ov  along  the  adjacent 
coast,  and  six  of  tiie  n'iiiil)er  succeeded  in  finding  their  way  in.  The  whole  force 
pursuing  tlie  whales  that  season  nuniljcred  nine  vessels,  whicli  lowered  thirty  boats. 
Of  (his  nuuil)er,  a;  least  twenty-five  were  daily  engaged  in  whaling.  Tlie  different 
branches  of  the  lagoon  where  the  whales  congregated  were  known  as  the  "Fish- 
pond," "Cooper's  Lagoon,"  "Fort  Lagoon,"  and  the  "^hiin  Lagoon."  Tlio  chief 
place  of  resort,  however,  was  at  the  he  id- waters  of  the  ,Maiii  Lagoon,  which  may 
be  compared  to  an  cs/cro,  two  or  tlireo  miles  in  extent,  and  nearly  surrounded  b}'- 
dunes,  or  sand -flats,  which  were  exposed  at  neap  tides.  Here  tlie  ol)jects  of  pur- 
suit were  found  in  large  numbers,  and  here  Oie  scene  of  slangliter  was  exceedingly 
liictiuesque  and  unusually  exciting,  especially  (.n  a  calm  morning,  when  the  mirage 
wo'-ld  transfiu-m  not  onl)'  the  boats  and  their  crews  into  fantastic  imagery,  but  the 
whales,  as  they  sent  forth  their  towering  spouts  of  aqueous  vapor,  frequently  tinted 
with  blood,  would  appear  greatly  distorted.  At  one  time,  tiie  upper  sections  of 
the  boats,  with  their  crev,-s,  would  be  seen  gliding  over  tlie  nndten-looking  surface 
of  the  walcr,  witii  a  portion  of  the  colossal  form  of  the  whale  apjiearing  for  an 
instant,  like  a  specire,  in  tlie  advance;  or  lioth  boats  and  whales  would  assume 
ever-changing  forms,  while  the  report  of  the  bomb-guns  would  sound  like  the 
sudden  discharge  of  musketiy  ;  but  one  can  not  fully  realize,  unless  he  be  an  eye- 
witness, the  intense  and  boisterous  excitement  of  the  reckless  pursuit,  by  a  large 
li'ct  (if  lioats  from  different  ships,  engaged  in  a  morning's  whaling  foray.  Xumbers 
of  thrin  will  l)e  fast  to  whales  at  the  same  time,  and  (lie  stricken  animals,  in  their 
ell'di'ts  to  escape,  can  be  seen  darting  in  eviM'v  direction  through  the  water,  or 
lircacliiiig  headlong  clear  of  its  surface,  ccuning  down  with  a  splash  that  sends 
columns  of  foam  in  eviM'y  direction,  and  with  a  rattling  report  tlau  can  l)e  heard 
beyond  the  surrounding  shores.  The  men  in  the  boats  shout  ami  yell,  or  con- 
verse in  vehement  strains,  using  a  variety  of  liie^'o,  from  the  Portuguese  of  the 
Western  Fslands  to  the  Kanaka  of  Oceauica.  in  fact,  the  whole  spectacle  is 
lieyoiid  descrip(i<in,   for  it  is  one  c(uilinually  changing  aquatic   bat  lie' -scene. 

It  was  no  unusual  occurrence  fir  the  whales,  after  being  striK'k,  to  run  in 
dilTereiit  iliriM'tions,  thereby  endangeriiig  collisioi.s  with  the  Imats,  or  crossing  lines; 
and  it  was  I'reipieiitly  only  by  tlio  most  dexteiMus  niauagemeiit  of  tli(>  crews  that 
.serious  di~ast  .'s  were  a\-oide(l.  Sometimes  a  line  was  cut,  or  let  go,  and  again 
recovered,  or  the  whale  e-caped  with  the  harpimn.  Our  teinlers  being  anchored  at 
Iho  sceiM'  of  action,  nll'orded  an  oxcelleul,  opiiortiiiiity  to  observe,  from  their  mast- 
heads, all    that    was   trans[iiring.      One   dull,  quiet   morning,  with   a   light   fog-cloud 


*«L      — -*,-*.^«.,*p. 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE -FISHERY.  2G7 

above  us,  tlio  voices  of  tlie  men  in  tlic  pursuing  flotilla  could  bo  distinctly  heard 
lor  mi'es  distiuit.  At  least  hveuty  boats  were  quickly  changing  their  positions,  as 
tlie  'Mast"'  (ish  might  take  them;  or  perhaps  some  unlucky  craft  would  suddenly 
stop,  and  the  next  moment,  boat,  oars,  whaling  impleiuonts,  and  men,  would  be 
seen  flying  through  the  air,  or  scattered  upon  the  water  around  some  Devil-fish, 
which,  in  whaling  parlance,  was  ''the  devil  among  cedar."  The  boats  oi"  two  differ- 
ent ships,  which  were  fiist  to  whales,  passed  quite  near  us  ;  and  while  the  officers 
of  each  party  had  no  relish  for  keeping  close  company,  the  two  whules  exhibited 
no  disposition  to  separate ;  and  as  the  group  swiftly  approached,  we  heard  loud 
voices  ana  saw  violent  gesticulations.  Very  soon  we  distinctly  heard  a  burly 
fellow,  who  stood  at  least  six  feet  in  his  stockings,  bare-headed,  with  his  long 
locks  streaming  behind,  shouting  to  his  opponent:  "That  won't  do!  that  won't  do! 
cut  your  line  !  I  struck  my  whale  first !  Cut  that  line,  or  you'll  be  into  us  !  Cut 
that  line,  or  111  put  a  bomb  through  you!"      But  the  officer   of  the   opposing  boat 

very  coolly  replied:    "Shoot,  and  be  d d,  you   old   lime-juicer!      1   won't   let  go 

this  line  till  we  git  'tother  side  of  Jordan!"  Then,  turning  to  his  crew,  he  said: 
"Haul  line,  boys!  haul  ahead!  and  I'll  give  old  Rip -sack  a  dose  he  can't  git  to 
the  'pothecaiy's !  Haul  ahead,  and  I'll  tap  his  claret-bottle!"  By  this  time  the 
two  whales  had  separated,  and  the  boats  were  beyond  hearing;  but  both  whales 
were  seen  spouting  blood,  and  soon  after  pyramids  of  foam  showed  that  they  were 
in  their  "(lurry." 

The  whale  being  dead,  and  floating,  the  grapnel  is  brought  into  requisition, 
and  the  animal's  head  is  hooked  and  hauled  up,  when  holes  are  cut  through  the 
lips,  and  a  short  warp  is  rove  through,  by  which  means  its  mouth  is  closed,  and 
the  tow-rope  is  made  fast;  then  the  prize  is  taken  in  tow  to  the  vessel. 
Usually  the  whales  are  killed  during  the  morning  hours,  or  in  the  fore  part  of 
the  day;  and  before  noon,  trains  of  boats  would  be  seen  towing  them,  with  sails 
spreail  to  a  h'ading  bree/.e,  or  they  wended  their  way  slowly  down  the  lagoon  by 
the  long,  steady  striikes  of  oars,  and  not  unfrequently  a  boat  song,  with  a  lively 
chorus,  cheered  the  men  at  their  laborious  work.  Sometimes  a  casualty  prevented 
pome  whaling -gang  from  making  their  capture  after  a  liard  chase,  or  "working 
upon"  some  cunning  Devil-fish  which  baflled  their  skill  to  destroy;  or,  if  the 
capture  were  made,  it  might  be  when  the  da)'  was  far  advanced,  or  perhaps  the 
shades  of  evening  would  compel  them  to  "cut  line,"  lherel)y  giving  up  the  chase, 
and  returning  to  the  ship  with  everyone  jaded  by  a  long  and  unsuccessful  battle. 
Notwithstanding  the  danger  in  lagoon -whaling,  we  have  known  of  the  California 
Gray   being   killed   during   the   darkest   hours   of  nigh^      An   instance    of   this   kind 


2G8  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    TUE    XOItTU -WE STERN    COAST. 

came  to  our  notice.  "When  tlie  wluile  had  been  honihed  rope:itc(lly,  laneed,  and 
spouted  thin  blood,  its  teiKK-il}'  of  life  was  truly  surpiis^iuj;;.  Long  after  dark,  the 
crippled  creature,  with  the  pursuiuLi;  boats  (dini:;ing  (o  it  by  the  lines  and  harpoons, 
was  lieard  coming  toward  tiie  vessel,  and,  on  closer  a[)[)roach,  we  could  .see  the 
"white  water."'  a.s  tjie  animal  writhed  in  its  agony.  Tiie  boat-header,  lance  in 
liand,  worked  witli  miglit  and  main,  hupiiig  at  every  dart  to  gi\'e  it  a  fatal  thrust. 
"Wo  couhl  hear  the  usual  orders  of  -^'ull  ahead!"  'Hold  tiie  boat!"  "Stern  all!" 
'"Lay  the  boat  oil'!''  etc..  ^\ilh  new  and  tiieii  the  encouraging  words  to  the  crew 
tliat  the  whale  was  "spouting  blood  as  thick  as  tar."  "WIkmi  the  party  jtassed 
their  shiii.  the  captain  hailed  them,  and  advised  the  oHicer  in  charge  to  cut  liis 
line  and  give  up  tlie  whale.  He  replied:  "A^-e,  aye,  sir;  I've  killed  the  bloody 
(ii  "k  st'ven  times,  but  lie  won't  turn  up  —  lie's  got  more  lives  llian  a,  Kilkenny 
cat  ;  Imt  I'll  (piict  him  in  less  than  live  minutes  —  lie  can't  last  much  longer." 
And.  a  few  moments  after,  the  exhausted  creature  made  its  last  gasping  struggle, 
and  "turned  u[i."  A  wild  cheer  from  the  Imats'  crews  told  that  the  fatal  work 
was  finished,  and  all  returned  to  the  shii»,  fatigued  by  the  long  combat,  but  in 
good  s[iirits.   for  tiieir  prize  was  secured. 

The  use  of  the  bomb-huu.'e  has  greatly  diminished  tlie  dangei'  of  capturing  the 
('alifornia  (ira}' ;  and  it  has  been  meiiticuu'd,  in  preceding  pages  of  tliis  work,  that 
this  whaling  was  first  prosecuted  in  the  Iniy  ami  lagoons  of  Magdalena,  in  the  year 
18-lii.  In  the  winter  of  1818.  lil'ty  shi[)s  ancliori'il  there  to  pass  the  "bL'tweeu 
seasons"  in  bay-whaling,  whirh  began  \\ith  llattering  iiros[)ects  ;  but  it  was  a  new 
w!iale-grou"d,  in  shallow  water,  and  the  animal  a  strange  one  to  the  fishers,  whose 
actions.  wIhmi  pursued,  they  knew  nothing  ahout  ;  hence,  there  was  hardly  a  ship 
that  did  not  have  one  or  more  of  her  boats  sta\"ed  wliene\'er  they  made  an  attack. 
An'ain.  altlioU'.z'h  the  ba\-  and  h.Li'oons  wi^'re  of  great  extent,  and  the  whales  nlenti- 
fill,  the  licet  was  large,  and  it  was  a  time  when  all  the  ships  "broke  out  and 
cooiHM'ed  their  oil.  "  I'lvcry  slii|i's  cooper  and  his  gang  Wi.'Y<}  tiiisily  at  work  with 
their  heavy  hammers.  dri\iiig  the  lioojis  on  the  casks,  uiid  the  whole  combined 
produced  a  deafening  noise  upon  the  water,  whiidi  eehocd  from  dill'  to  crag  along 
the  mounlain  island  of  Margarita.  Tliis.  with  the  chase  and  ca[itiire  of  the 
animals,  the  sta\'iiig  of  boats,  m.d  the  smoke  ami  bia/.e  from  try-works  by  night, 
soon  drove  the  whales  to  the  outsidi'  shores.  The  ardent  hopi.'s  of  the  most  san- 
guine were  siully  dampened.  A  parley  was  Iicld  b\-  the  captains,  and  the  matter 
was  fully  discussed,  what  course  to  take  in  order  to  seiatrc  a  good  season's  catch, 
liiilcs  and  regulations  were  drawn  up  and  agreed  to  by  all  that  decided  (o  remain 
and    try   their   luck   through   the   season ;    bul   many  ships,  after   the   lirst   few  days' 


THE    A  ME  It  WAX    WHALE- FISHERY.  2G9 

whaling,  left  to  cruise  in  the  open  soa  for  Sponn  Whales,  until  the  northern  season 
yAw\\\A  come  round  again.  Disappointed  in  tlieir  new  whaling  enterprise,  they 
usually  left  with  many  maledictions  on  Margarita  Bay  (as  it  was  usually  called), 
and  on  the  whales  especially,  which  had  already  boen  given  a  nudtitudo  of  signili- 
cant  names.  After  suspending  whaling  ft)r  a  few  days,  and  a  number  of  siiips 
leaving  meanwhile,  the  whales  again  returned  to  their  favorite  haunt,  and,  the 
whalemen  so(ui  learning  how  to  "work  around  them,"  the  ships  that  reurained 
generally  made  a  fair  season's  catch. 

The   dangers   incident    to   whaling   in   ^[agdalena  Bay   and   lagoons   gave   rise   to 
many   a   marvelous   tale,   some   of   which   were    literally   true,    while    others,    though 
anmsing,  partook  strongly  of  that  flavor  which  sailors  term  '•lishy."     After  the  first 
few    years    of    '"gray "-whaling,    the    pursuit    came    to    l)e    regarded    as    somewhat 
impracticiil»k>;     and    the    oil    obtained    being    of    an    inferior     (jualily,    witlioul     tiie 
accompanying   yield    of  bone,  as    in  the    Bight  Whale    and    P.owhead,  this  branch  of 
the    fisliery    was    for    a    time    nearly    al)andoned.      A    few    ships,    however,    passed    a 
portion    of  the   winter   months   in    pursuing    the   Devil-lisli   of   Magdalena ;    and    one 
captain  in  particular  made  periodical  visits  to  a   favorite  estuary,   where  the  animals 
were  found    in  great   abundance,  aiul    were    captured    with   less  than  the    usual    dllh- 
culty  ;    but    a   season   never    passed   without   casualties    occurring — souutimes    serious 
ones.       This     indefitigable     master    (whom    we  will   call     Captain    L.),    .'n    order    to 
play  a  little  game  of   blulV   with   his  boon  compani(ms,   would,   on    his   return  to  the 
Sandwich    Islands   to   recruit   ship   for   the   north,  ])ring  with    him   erne   of  his  boats 
which  had   been  staved   beyond    repair,  that  those   interested    might   luivo   convincing 
proof  of   the   terrors   of   "ripsack- whaling."      Added    to   this,    his   spicy   yarns  when 
dilating    upon    the    dangerous   chase,    created    in    those    unac(iuainted    an    aversion    to 
engage     in     so    precarious    a    pursuit.       At    length,    however,    the    norliiern    whales 
becoming   scattered    and    dillicult  to    capture,  caused    some   of   the    most   enterprising 
capi.r.u.    lo    t.y    their    hand    with    the    (irays.     At    the    time    wo    are    writing   alx.nt, 
a  largv  (leet  had  concentrated   at    Honolulu,  after   tlie   accustomed   sununer   cruise  to 
th(>    north;    and   at   tiiese   periodical    gatherings,  the  whalers,   from   the    steerage-boy 
to    the   captain,    enjoyed    a    season    of  rela.xatiou    from    the    restraint    of   strict    disci- 
pline, as  well  as  from  th(-  duties  cm  board  ship,  and  a  good  deal  of  familiarity  was 
tolerated  on   shore  during  thrir  brief   stay,  wliich  at   sea  would  liave  been  promptly 
suiipressed.      I'^-eryone    seemed    to    follow    his    own    inclinations    in    seeking   pleasure 
wherever,    or    in     whatever     way,    it    i-onld    be    found.      And    one    of    Captain    L.'s 
felicitous  amusements  was  in  dilating  upon  the  terrors  of  "devil -fishing"   (he  faniil- 
iavly   termed    it)    "over    to    Margarita."      At    one    time,   when    in    the    midst    uf   a 


270  MAUJXK    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTII-lVESrEUX    COAST. 

riiniiiu.'o,  Olio  of  his  brother  cMptains  ironically  ri'iiiixrk('(l  Unit,  as  ho  "lolil  tlio 
truth  so  oftcMi.  ho  hardly  kuew  wIk'ii  to  believe  him."  "You  don't,  eh?"  retorted 
Captain  L. ;  "well,  unu  have  a  heap  of  good  manners,  F  think,  to  interrupt  a 
gentleman  when  he's  taJking?  Now,  look  here,  old  Doubtful,  I'll  tell  you  what 
happened  to  nic  in  my  own  boat,  up  in  the  'mud -hole,'  season  afore  last.  W(^ 
was  ehasing  a  cow  and  calf,  and  1  charged  my  boat-steeror  to  be  careful  ami  not 
touch  t!ie  3'oung  sucker,  for  if  he  did,  the  old  whale  would  knoedc  us  into  chop- 
sticks; but  no  sooner  said  than  done — ,slam  went  two  irons  into  the  critter,  chock 
to  the  hitches,  and  that  calf  was  'pow-nnicky'  in  less  than  no  time;  and  tin,' 
boat-stecrer  sung  out:  'Cap'n,  I've  killed  the  calf,  and  the  old  cow  is  after  us.' 
Well,  just  about  this  time,  I  sung  out  to  the  men  to  pull  for  the  shore  as  they 
loved  their  lives;  and  when  that  boat  struck  the  beach,  wo  scattered.  I'll  admit 
1  never  stopped  to  look  round;  but  the  boat-stecrer  yelled  out:  'Cap'n,  the  old 
whale  is  after  us  still.'  when  I  told  all  hands  to  climb  trees!"  This  graphic 
picture  of  "ripsacking  '  was  received  with  a  shout  of  laughter  l)y  the  knot  of 
listeners  who  had  circled  about  the  loquacious  captain,  and  all  admitted  that  ho 
was  th(!  king  of  skippers  in  Devil-fish   lore. 

]3ut  with  all  the  warnings  and  direful  tales,  ^fagdalona  Day  whaling  was 
resumed  with  ardor  about  the  j-ears  1855  and  185G,  and  was  continued  and 
extended  along  the  whole  coast  of  both  I'ppcr  and  Lower  California.  Every 
navigable  lagoon  of  the  region  was  discovered  and  explored,  and  the  animals  wero 
hunted  in  every  winding  and  intricate  estuary  which  wore  their  resorting  or  breed- 
ing places.  In  the  seasons  of  1858  and  1859,  not  only  the  bays  and  lagoons  wero 
'icoming  with  all  the  varied  incidents  of  the  fishery,  but  the  outside  coast  was 
r.ned  with  ships,  from  San  Diego  southward  to  Cape  St.  Lucas.  A  few  vessels  of 
this  fleet  cruised  near  the  .shore  by  day,  standing  a  little  way  off  at  night;  but  by 
far  the  largest  number  anchored  about  the  islands,  points,  and  capes,  wherever  the 
animals  could  bo  most  successfully  pursued.  It  was  a  novel  sight  to  view  a  single 
ship,  or  a  small  squadron,  anchored  olT  some  exposed  headland  or  island,  rolling 
and  surging  at  their  cables  in  the  ugly  ground -swell,  and  the  fleet  of  boats  lying 
along  the  lino  of  kelp  just  without  the  surf- bound  .shore,  or.  with  their  sails  spread 
to  the  breeze,  skimming  over  the  waves  in  the  various  directions  the  gigantic  game 
led  them.  At  such  times,  a  feature  was  observed  in  this  fishery  which  is  not 
often  witnessed,  namely  :  the  peculiiu"  marks  or  devices  pictured  upon  the  .sails  of 
the  boats  belonging  to  the  different  vessels.  Some  had  a  largo  cross  covering  the 
mainsail,  while  others  would  have  the  whole  sail  of  blue,  with  a  white  jib  or  gafl- 
topsail.     On   another  boat's   canras  would   bo  figured   one,  two,  or   three   balls;   or 


THE    AMEItlCAK     WIIALK-FlSIIEltY.  271 

stars,  or  crescents  ;  or  a  largo  letter  or  number  designated  the  ship  to  which  they 
belonged.  The  diversity  of  colors,  and  the  dilTerent  tastes  displayed  in  painting 
the  boats,  added  another  pleasing  I'eature :  some  were  pure  while,  others  black, 
still  othei  s  oi'  ii  lead  cohn' ;  or  iancifully  striped  with  Iri-colors,  or  with  the  bow 
red,  blue,  or  green,  while  the  rest  of  the  craft  would  be  of  a  contrasting  shade. 
Sonielinies  a  huge  eye  on  either  side  of  the  stem,  or  a  large  circle,  would  be  the 
designating  mark  ;  all  these  combined  making  up  an  extended  group  of  dashing 
water -cnU't,  especially  pei'taining  to  the  California  coast  and  fishery. 

As  the  success  of  a  whaling -voyage  depends  chielly  (when  whales  arc  plenti- 
ful) upon  the  odic^ers  being  good  whalemen,  there  is  frequently  more  or  less  con- 
tention among  ca[)tains  and  agents  to  obtain  those  of  unquestionable  skill  ;  so  that 
the  "crack"  men  of  the  harpoon  and  lance  have  often  dictated  their  own  terms  as 
to  their  lay  and  bonus ;  and  in  former  years  the  advance  wages  and  extra  pay 
received  by  ofllcers  of  great  reputation  as  right- whalemen  and  devil -fishermen, 
might  be  considered  enormous.  Hut  it  was  not  always  that  these  ''bonus  men' 
proved  to  bo  e([ual  to  the  reputation  which  they  perhaps  had  olitained  either  by 
accident  or  purely  good  fortune.  Ill  luck  sometimes  robbed  a  good  whaleman  of 
his  prestige,  and  many  a  game  man  for  a  Right  Whale  of  the  Xorth- western  Coast 
found  himself  quite  luiequal  to  the  task  of  '•turning  up"'  a  California  Gray.  Wc 
recollect  an  instance  which  occurred  on  board  a  New  London  ship,  where  the  mate 
returned  on  board  after  a  hard  chase  and  combat  with  an  old  cow  and  her  calf  in 
one  of  the  shallow  estuaries.  As  this  officer  approached  his  captain,  to  give  an 
account  of  his  mishaps,  he  became  greatly  excited;  but  at  last  he  said:  "I  didn't 
know,  sir,  that  the  whale  was  within  fifty  fathoms  of  me,  when  up  Ave  went — and 
there  ain't  enough  left  of  the  boat  to  kindle  the  cook's  fire."  On  another  occasion, 
a  famous  Xew  ]3edford  captain  ilew  into  a  fit  of  passion  at  his  "Ijonus  mate,"  for 
coming  ou  board  with  a  staved  boat,  instead  of  bringing  alongside  a  dead  whale. 
Words  ran  high  with  the  "old  man;"  but  his  chief  officer  seemed  to  take  things 
philosophically,  lie  remained  siloiii.  until  his  commander  had  vented  his  spleen, 
when  ho  replied  as  follows:  "Look  a- here,  Cap'n  Simmons,  I  don't  ask  no  odds 
of  any  living  man  that  can  pull  an  oar  or  dart  an  iron.  I  can  catch  as  many 
whales  as  the  next  one,  ef  ye'll  give  me  a  fair  show.  I  don't  say  as  I  cud  do  any 
nior'^  ,  but  uid'nt  I  bring  as  many  whales  to  the  ship,  down  to  the  Rosemerry 
Lslai  ds,  i-  all  the  rest  of  your  boat-headers  that  was  counted  as  beiu'  great  on  a 
lluni;>ij;ick  (  And  what  kind  uv  whales  did  they  git,  anyhow?  —  calves,  and  old 
cows  i'l.il  had  been  sucked  down  till  they  was  too  poor  to  skin — why,  the 
blubber  ou  'em  wouldn't  make  coal-tar   ef  you  biled   it   a  week;    ard  the   most  of 


©  o  o 

I 

% 


..■».-. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


UilM    125 

■  50     ■^™        ■■■ 

•Uteb 

m 

1.4 


1.6 


% 


yj 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  iYim.r 

WnSTIil.N.V.  M5«0 

(716)  t73-4S03 


<J 


>v 


4 


•N5 


\\ 


;\ 


0  7-) 


MAE  IKE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 


"the  whales  I  had  the  luck  to  captivate  was  them  old  white -bellied  fellers  that 
had  a  fin  on  'em  like  a  seventy -four's  breast-hook,  and  would  turn  up  sixty 
barrels  apiece,  without  skimmin'- slicks ;  and  didn't  I  catch  my  share  of  whales  on 
the  Nor'-west?"  "Yes,"  replied  the  captain;  "I  had  no  fault  to  find  until  we 
came  in  here  to  Devil-fish  it."  "Yes,  well,"  replied  the  mate;  "I  hain't  no 
growlin'  to  do,  only  one  thing:  I  shipped  to  this  ship  to  go  a-whalin';  I'd  no 
idea  of  bein'  required  to  go  into  a  duck -pond  to  whale  after  spotted  h3enas_ 
Why,  Cap'n,  these  here  critters  in  this  bay  ain't  whales!"  "Well,  if  they  ain't 
whales,  what  are  they?"  asked  the  captain,  in  a  husky  voice.  "Well,"  replied 
the  mate,  "I  don't  know  rightly  what  they  be;  but  I  hev  a  strong  notion  they 
are  a  cross  'tween  a  sea-serpent  and  an  alligator.  Why,  these  Mussel -diggers 
will  turn  round  in  their  tracks,  Cap'n  ;  and  it's  no  use — you  can't  git  these  here 
IJipsacks  without  a  good  deal  of  boat  -  staving ;  but  I'll  bring  my  whale,  or  split 
the  cedar,  else  my  name  ain't  Cooper." 

These  incidents  are  only  given  as  illustrative  of  whaling  life  in  the  lagoons  of 
California ;  yet,  with  all  the  hazard  pertaining  to  the  fishery,  such  extremely 
daring  efforts  have  been  put  forth  by  many  whaling- masters  to  capture  the  Cali- 
fornia Gray,  that  we  will,  in  justice  to  them,  further  mention  that,  where  ships 
were  of  too  heavy  draught  to  pass  the  bars  of  several  of  the  lagoons,  they 
anchored  near  the  breakers  at  the  conOuence  of  those  inland  waters,  where  they 
were  exposed  to  the  sweep  of  the  wind  and  waves  from  seaward,  remaining  there 
the  whole  season,  the  boats  passing  and  repassing  the  bars  during  fine  weather,  in 
order  to  reach  the  prey  in  their  coverts,  or  were  employed  in  attacking  them 
around  the  shoals  of  the  harbor's  mouth,  when  the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth  ; 
but  even  there  an  occasional  breaker  would  roll  up  its  foaming  crest,  when  the 
"fast"  fish  would  run  through  it,  as  if  by  instinct,  to  rid  itself  of  its  relentless 
enemies ;  yet,  in  many  cases,  this  endeavor  to  escape  proved  abortive,  as  the 
whalemen  would  "fleet  aft"  in  their  boats,  in  order  to  elevate  their  bows  to  meet 
the  sea,  when  with  one  bound  the  danger  was  passed,  without  shipping  much 
water,  or  what  might  be  taken  in  was  quickly  bailed  out,  and,  being  then  in  the 
open  sea,  the  work  of  capture  would  be  renewed  effectively. 

AGAIN  TO  TOE  NORTH,  AND  HOME. 

It  is  time  to  leave  the  coast  of  California,  as  the  bay -whaling  season  la  over; 
and  the  ship  having  been  thoroughly  cleaned,  and  a  supply  of  wood  taken  on 
board,  with  perhaps  a  recruit  of  green  turtles  for  a  sea- stock  of  fresh  meat,  the 


THE    AMERICAN    WHALE-FISHERY.  27S 

anchor  is  weighed,  and  her  prow  is  turned  once  more  to  frozen  seas.  The  temper- 
ate hititudes  are  passed,  and  she  emerges  into  a  region  of  gloom,  where  fog,  mist, 
and  storm  follow  in  quick  succession,  varied  at  long  intervals  with  clear  weather, 
which  reveals  a  nearly  ice -fettered  ocean  on  one  hand,  and  a  snow -clad  mountain 
coast  on  the  other.  A  treacherous  channel  may  be  open  between  the  shore  and 
the  main  body  of  the  ice,  but  it  is  thickly  beset  with  floes ;  and  among  these  the 
whale -ship  threads  her  way  along  the  Kamschatka  shore,  if  bound  to  the  Arctic, 
through  Behring  Sea  and  Strait,  unless  she  is  delayed  by  captures  en  route.  At 
length,  about  mid -summer,  having  arrived  at  the  icy  barrier  of  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
the  vessels  cruise  "ofi"  and  on,"  along  its  margins,  in  quest  of  the  Bowhcad. 
Following  the  belt  of  open  water,  in  their  persistent  search,  ships  sometimes  pass 
far  beyond  Point  Barrow ;  but  it  is  not  long  before  the  autumnal  gales  drive  them 
from  this  haunt,  when  they  again  return  to  warmer  latitudes,  and  a  port  of  recruit 
is  sought,  where  all  hands  arc  refreshed  ;  when,  if  the  ship  is  not  full,  perhaps  a 
cruise  is  made  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  upon  the  coast  of  New  Zealand,  or 
Australia,  and  the  Indian  Ocean,  before  being  fairly  on  their  homeward  passage. 
Many  a  ship,  which  would  have  otherwise  returned  with  a  broken  voyage,  has 
been  fdled  by  taking  her  last  season  on  the  New  Zealand,  or  New  Holland  (as 
Australia  was  formerly  called)  ground.  And,  rs  has  been  mentioned  in  that  por- 
tion of  this  work  devoted  to  the  chronological  history  of  the  American  whale-fish- 
ery, the  New  London  and  Sag  Harbor  whalemen  were  noted  for  pursuing  their  prey 
in  stormy  latitudes  ;  and  when  referring  to  the  former,  we  havj  frequently  heard 
the  remark  made,  "0,  they  arc  under- water  follows!"  Some  thirty  years  ago,  an 
incident  transpired  which  vividly  portrays  the  perseverance  with  which  the  fishery 
was  then  prosecuted.  A  New  London  ship,  and  another  from  Sag  Harbor,  having 
been  unfortunate  in  their  efforts  to  obtain  a  full  fare  of  oil  and  bono  upon  the 
North-western  Coast,  resorted,  as  a  last  effort,  to  the  coast  of  Australia,  where  the 
two  captains  met  during  a  "gam"  off  Geographo  Bay.  Tiiis  place  being  an  open 
roadstead,  exposed  to  the  heaviest  prevailing  gales  of  that  region,  was  considered 
an  unsafe  anchorage ;  but  the  two  captains,  with  their  officers,  concluded  if  the 
ships  could  possibly  ride  them  out,  that  during  the  intervals  of  moderate  weatiier 
enough  whales  could  be  taken  to  fill  both  vessels.  They  all  agreed  that  they 
had  but  little  choice  between  going  homo  with  empty  ships,  and  dragging  ashore 
in  a  gale  of  wind.  Accordingly,  by  agroomont,  both  vessels  anchored  in  tiie  best 
positions,  and,  as  a  forlorn  hope,  began  the  battle — not  only  with  the  whales,  but 
with  the  boisterous  eltmonts  of  the  Indian  Seas.  All  the  ground -tackle  of  both 
vessels  was    laid    down  to   the  best  advantage ;    and   when   a  gale  came  on,   heavy 

Mauinu  Mammalh.— 9.V 


274  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    Till::    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

tackles  were  hooked  to  tlie  cublos,  then  led  aft,  and  secured  to  the  mainmast,  to 
relio\e  the  strain  that  would  otherwise  come  on  the  windlass.  In  this  way  a 
succession  of  severe  blows  were  ridden  out  in  safety ;  and  during  the  intervals  of 
good  we.'  uher,  whaling  was  carried  on  with  such  vigor,  that,  before  the  seusou  was 
over,  botli  ships  departed  for  home  with  full  cargoes. 

Right -whaling  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  the  taking  of  Sea  Elephants  upon  the 
shores  of  Kerguelon's  Land,  was  a  special  branch  of  the  oil  commerce,  which,  to  a 
great  extent,  was  prosecuted  by  the  New  Londoners,  their  main  dependence  being 
the  catch  of  Sea  Elephants ;  consequently  thei'e  was  but  little  attention  paid  to 
whaling  while  making  the  passage  from  home,  and  on  their  return,  the  vessels 
being  full,  precluded  the  usual  routine  of  standing  mast-heads,  and  the  casual 
"lowering  for  whales."  When  outward  bound,  however,  a  spirited  chase,  attack, 
and  capture,  would  sometimes  be  made  upon  a  shoal  of  Cachalots,  although 
the  boats  were  in  no  wise  well  prepared.  An  episode  of  the  kind  occurred  many 
years  ago  with  a  large  ship  on  her  way  to  Desolation.  When  off  the  island  of  St. 
Helena,  a  school  of  Sperm  Whales  was  descried ;  but  none  of  the  boats  were 
properly  fitted,  and  some  had  not  a  line  coiled.  Among  the  officers  was  one  (a 
favorite,  both  among  men  and  after -guard,  as  well  as  the  owners  at  home)  who  was 
by  his  messmates  familiarly  dubbed  "Jube."  Jube  was  a  fine  t3'pe  of  a  mariner — 
nuiscular  (or,  as  Jack  expressed  it.  "well  put  up"),  ready  for  an  adventure  of  any 
kind,  made  the  best  of  everything,  could  hold  on  to  a  Right  Whale  when  running 
to  windward  around  the  Crozets  (and  the  ship  under  double-reefs),  and  counted 
it  a  laughable  joke  if  all  hands  in  the  boats  were  drenched  to  the  skin  "afore  ho 
could  git  the  critter  mnugor."  At  lliis  time  his  boat  had  no  line  prepared ;  but 
jumping  below,  ho  seized  a  new  coil,  tumbled  it  into  his  boat,  and,  with  a  single 
harpoon  and  lance,  lowered  away  with  the  other  boats  in  quick  pursuit.  Tho 
whales  were  down;  but  when  they  came  up,  his  boat  had  "the  chance."  "Pull 
ahead,  my  hearties!"  ho  shouted;  "a  fool  for  luck,  and  a  poor  man  for  babies!" 
and  in  a  moment  more  they  were  fast.  The  whale  sounded  ;  and  away  went  the 
line,  tearing  and  smoking  through  the  "chocks,"  till  it  became  kinked  and  tangled, 
when,  in  his  efforts  to  clear  it,  he  was  taken  overboard,  and  disappeared  beneath 
the  waves ;  but  a  moment  after  the  harpoon  loosened  from  tho  whale.  Slowly 
tiie  crew  hauled  in  the  fouled  line,  bemoaning  the  loss  of  their  officer ;  but  aa 
they  drew  it  in,  they  found  him  clinging  to  it,  where  it  wound  around  his  body, 
lie  was  quickly  released,  and  laid  in  the  boat  for  dead,  when  they  hastened  to  the 
sliip,  where  the  captain  at  once  made  every  effort  to  restore  him  to  life ;  and,  to 
the  great  joy  of  all,  ho  was  soon  resuscitated.     He  was  well  cared  for,  and,  with  a 


TUE    AMERICAN    WHALE  -  FISHERY.  275 

little  rest,  was  all  right  again.  On  awaking  from  a  refreshing  sleep,  a  chum,  in 
his  expressions  of  joy  at  his  recovery,  said:  "Well,  Jube,  how  did  you  like  it 
down  there?"  "0!"  replied  he,  "it  is  a  lonesome  road  to  travel.  There  are 
neither  mile -stones  nor  guide -boards  that  I  could  see!"  Such  was  the  reckless 
hardihood  and  bearing  of  those  men  whose  lives  were  passed  upon  the  ocean,  or 
about  the  forbidding  shores  of  the  Antarctic  regions. 

In  former  days,  when  whaling  was  in  its  highest  state  of  prosperity,  much  of 
the  leisure  time  during  tliose  long  voyages,  and  especially  while  on  the   homeward 
passage,  was  occupied   in  "scrimshawing,"  by  those  of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind, 
who  manufactured  useful  or  ftincy  articles  from  whalebone,  or  rare  woods  obtained 
from   the   tropical    coasts.      Canes,    swifts,    knitting-needles,    stamps,    bodkins,    etc., 
were  made  from  the  jaws  or  teeth    of  the  Sperm  Whule ;    and  the    shells  of  the 
cocoa-nut  were   fashioned  into  unique  drinking -cups.     Sometimes  a   large  plate  of 
baleen  would  be  finely  polished,  and  the  history  of  the  prominent  incidents  of  the 
voyage    engraved    upon    it    in    hieroglyphical    figures.      A    variety    of  articles    were 
wrought  out  of  wood,  ivory,  or  shell,  which  were  carefully  put  by  for  presents  to 
relatives    and    friends    at    home.      Many    of   these   articles    were   fine    specimens   of 
workmanship.     The    smaller   blocks,   and    the    belaying- pins,    of  some  of  the    first- 
class  sperm  whale -ships,  were  made  of  white  whalebone;   and   sometimes  the  decks 
were,   with    infinite   pains,   inlaid  with    diamond -shaped    pieces  of  ivory.     Many  of 
the  junior   officers   and  boat-steerers  kept    regular  journals,   similar    to    the    ship's 
log-book,   some   of  which   were  examples  of  good   penmanship,  giving  a  brief  but 
clear  account  of  what  transpired   on  board   every  consecutive  day  during  three  or 
four  years ;  while  others  were  embellished  with  sketches  of  ships  spoken,  headlands 
and  islands  sejn  ;   and  whenever  a  whale  was  taken,  his  full  figure  was  stamped  on 
the  margin  of  the  page  recording   the  event;   or   if  a  whale  was  struck,  and   lost, 
his  head  only  was  represented  ;   while  for  one  that  was  chased,  but  not  harpooned, 
the  fiukes  and  a  portion  of  the  small  were  figured. 

But  under  the  most  propitious  circumstances,  the  vast  extent  of  ocean  to  be 
traversed  rendered  the  homeward  passage  tedious ;  for  buffeting  the  gales  off  Cape 
Horn,  running  down  the  trades,  and  contending  with  the  equatorial  squalls,  with  a 
deluge  of  rain,  made  up  the  general  weather  record ;  and  when  approaching  ♦ho 
American  coast  in  the  Atlantic,  one  of  those  heavy  blows  which  are  often  exper. 
cnc.J  would  sometimes  drive  them  far  off  to  sea  again,  after  having  seen  the  land 
they  had  left  years  before.  At  last,  however,  the  welcome  cry  of  "Land  ho!"  is  again 
hoard  from  aloft ;  and  soon  a  trim  craft,  with  a  number  in  her  sail,  and  the  Union 
jack  flying  at  the  main,  gives  the  cheering  and  welcome  news  that  the  pilot  is  on 


276  MARINE    MAMMALS    OF    THE    NORTH-WESTERN    COAST. 

the  lookout.  The  ship  is  hove  to,  and  he  is  soon  alongside.  He  clamber.s  up  the 
vessel's  side,  vociferates  his  orders  to  trim  sail,  and  assumes  full  command  on  board. 
All  now  becomes  hurry  and  bustle,  and  a  scene  of  joyful  excitement  ensues.  If  u 
full  ship,  the  old  iron  cannon,  which  has  been  used  as  a  signal -gun  at  night  and 
in  foggy  weather  on  the  whaling -grounds,  is  brought  out  to  send  forth  a  salute,  at 
intervals,  as  the  ship  glides  along  the  inland  waters,  until  anchored  in  her  destinol 
port,  and  the  voyage  of  years'  duration  is  completed.  Then  comes  the  greeting  of 
friends  on  board,  or  a  restless  desire  to  meet  them  c.i  shore,  there  to  pass  a  time 
of  rest  and  recreation  before  again  launching  upon  the  deep  for  another  expedition 
involving  peril  and  uncertainty. 


^.-l  ■■.^^.....laJ-j-i-.Jiiin 


APPENDIX 


I , 


■■"-'■  ■** 


if 


CATALOGUE 


CETACEA  OF  THE  NORTH  PACIFIC  OCEAN, 


OSTEOLOOIOAL  NOTES,  A5D  DE8CBIPTI0HS  OF  SOME  KEW  lOEMSi 


TTTB  SPECIAL   BEFEBENCE  TO 


THE   FORMS  DESCRIBED   AND   FIGURED   IN   THE   FOREGOING   MONOGRAPH  OF   PACIFIC 
CETACEA,  BY  CAPTAIN  C.  M.  SCAMMON,  U.  S.  R.  M. 


By    W.    H.    ball, 

Shithiohiaii  Innmnioii. 

The  object  in  the  following  Catalogue— besides  bringing  together  condensed 
descriptions  of  the  species  of  Cetaceans  reported  from  the  Pacific,  and  such  of 
unicnown  habitat  as  might  have  come  from  that  ocean,  with  references  to  such 
figures  and  fuller  descriptions  as  may  be  readily  consulted  by  the  student— has 
been  especially  to  determine,  as  exactly  as  possible,  the  genera  and  species  described 
by  the  author  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  work,  in  order  that  his  figures  and 
contributions  to  our  knowledge  of  the  habits  and  natural  history  of  those  animals 
may  have  their  fullest  value  for  the  scientific  student  of  the  group  in  question. 

I  have  adopted  in  full  the  general  groups  eliminated  by  Professor  Theodore 
Gill,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  in  the  Catalogue  of  the  Families  of  Manmah 
published  by  the  Institution  ;  a  course  warranted  not  less  by  the  scientific  stftnding 
of  the  author  in  question,  than  by  the  paucity  of  works  of  reference  on  this  coast, 
and  the  confusion  which  has  hitherto  existed  among  the  best  naturalists  in  regard 

Mabimi  I(ahiuu.-M.  [  »|  J 


:t : 


;i 


282  APPENDIX. 

to  the  classification  of  the  Cetacoa.  For  convenience  in  reference  T  have  also,  for 
the  most  part,  adopted  the  minor  divisions  used  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Gray  in  his  Supple- 
nwitanj  Catalogue  of  Seals  and  Whahi  in  the  Britush  Museum,  1871;  though  many 
of  them  appear  to  have  a  more  subordinate  value  than  that  ascribed  to  them  by 
that  eminent  naturalist.  In  f  noting  his  works,  for  greater  brevity,  I  have  simply 
referred  to  them  by  their  dates,  namely :  the  British  Museum  Catalogues  of  1 850  and 
1866  ;  the  Synopsis  of  Whales  and  Dolphins,  1808  (containing,  with  others,  the  plates 
of  the  Zoology  of  the  Urebus  and  Terror,  partialiy  published  in  1846);  and  the  Sup- 
plementary Catalogue  of  1871. 

I  have  to  thank  Captain  C.  M.  Scammon  for  placing  all  the  material  and  infor- 
mation in  his  possession  at  my  disposal,  for  examination ;  also.  Professor  S.  F. 
Baird  and  Doctor  Theodore  Gill,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  for  assistance  ren- 
dered in  many  ways,  without  which  I  should  hardly  have  been  able  to  complete 
this  Catalogue. 

I  have  also  incorporated  extremely  brief  notices  of  the  material  from  which 
each  species  has  been  described,  and  the  museum  in  which  the  specimens  are  pre- 
served;  "S.  I."  referring  to  the  National  Museum,  in  charge  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  at  Washington.  I  have  also  endeavored  to  refer  to  all  the  remains  of 
Cetacea  preserved  in  the  collections  on  the  west  coast. 

Completeness  is  not  claimed  for  thi*?  list ;  in  fiict,  it  can  hardly  hope  to  be 
attained  for  a  considerable  period,  when  the  difficulties  and  expense  connected  with 
these  researches  are  appreciated.  Still,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that,  in  bringing  together 
this  material,  something  has  been  accomplished  in  rendering  the  path  easier  for 
subsequent  students. 

The  references  to  plates  opposite  the  specific  name  adopted,  are  to  the  plates 
and  figures  in  the  preceding  portion  of  this  volume. 


CATALOGUE    OF   THE    CETACEA.  288 

Order  CETE. 

Suborder  Denticete. 

Superfamily  DELPIIINOIDEA. 

Family  Delphinid^. 

Subfamily  DELPUiNAPTEmif.«. 

Genus  Delphinapterus,  Lac. 

Delphimptems,  Lacopede,  Lilijo  org,  Gill,  95. 
Beluga,  Gray,  1871,  p.  94.     AucLorum. 

Delphinapterus  oatodon.    PI.  xviii,  fig.  1. 

liihifia,  of  Scammon,  Proc.  Phil.  kca.C    18G9,  p.  57. 
Beluga  catodon,  Grv,  18C6,  p.  307,  fig.  61;  1871,  p.  94. 
Plnj^iier  catodon,  Linn.,  S.  N.  107. 
Delphimts  leucas,  Gmfilin,  S.  N.  1232. 
Delphinapterus  beluga,  Lacepede,  Get.  2-t3,  1804. 

Arctic  Seas,  Bering  Sea,  Ochotsk,  Japan? 

Pure  white.  Twelve  to  sixteen  feet  long.  Skulls  in  B.  M.  Three  skulls  from  Norton  Sound, 
Dall,  Coll.  S.  I.  Doctor  Gray,  having  examined  skulls  collected  by  Captain  Kellett,  R.  N.,  from 
Bering  Strait,  unites  the  beluga  of  the  western  seas  with  that  of  the  north  of  Europe.  The  teeth 
in  specimens  (80  or  90  in  number)  examined  by  me,  in  Norton  Sound,  Bering  Sea,  varied  from 
j  to  { } ;  often  being  unequal  in  number  on  opposite  bides. 


Genus  Monodon,  Linn. 

Monodon  monoceros. 

Monodon  monoceros,  Linn.  Faun.  Suec.  2,  IG;  S.  N.  i,  105. 
Narwhal. 

Arctic  Seas. 

Specimens  are  sometimes  brought  overiand,  across  eastern  Siberia,  by  the  natives,  and  sold  to 

traders  in  the  Ochotsk  Sea. 

Subfamily  DELpmym^,  Gill,  p.  95. 

Genus  DelphinUS,  Gray. 
Ddphinu9,  Gray,  1871,  p.  67. 

Delphinus  Balrdil.    PI.  xix,  fig.  1. 

D.  Bairdii,  Dal.  Prel.  Descr.  Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.  v,  Jan.  1873. 

Back    posterior  sides,  fins  and   flukes,  black.     Anterior  sides  gray,  with  two   narrow  lateral 
white  stripes.    A  white,  lanceolate,  belly-patch.    TuU  descriptions  of  the  colors  and  measurements 


^M 


284  append:  X. 

of  two  female  specimens  taken  by  Captain  Scammon,  o£f  Point  Arguello,  California,  will  be  found 
in  his  monograph.  Length,  sis  feet  and  seven  to  nine  inches.  Dorsal  falcate,  immediately  over 
the  navel.  Front  of  head  prominently  bulbous  or  convex  beyond  the  even  curve  of  the  bock  of 
the  head ;  a  slight  convexity  below,  behind  the  vent.  Beak  slender,  elongated.  The  following  are 
the  dimensions  of  the  cranium,  in  inches  and  decimals : 

Length  of  skull  in  straight  line 18  .76 

Internal  length  of  brain  cavity 4  .40 

Length  of  beak  anterior  to  maxillary  notches 11  .90 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  anterior  margin  of  superior  nares 13  .40 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  notch  of  palate  in  the  median  line 13  .90 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  tooth 10  .60 

Height  of  skull  at  vertex 6  .00 

Greatest  breadth  at  zygomatic  process  of  squamosals 6  .95 

Breadth  at  supra-orbital  ridge 6  .10 

Breadth  between  maxillary  notches 3  .40 

Breadth  at  middle  of  beak 2  .00 

Breadth  of  the  two  premaxillaries  at  middle  of  beak 0  .90 

Width  of  condyles 3  .70 

Closest  approximation  of  condyles  below  the  foramen 0  .90 

Height  u:   foramen  magnum 1  .40 

Width  of  foramen  magnum 1  .60 

Entire  length  of  ramus  of  lower  jaw 15  .90 

Tip  to  posterior  edge  of  last  tooth 9 .  80 

Length  of  symphysis 2  .10 

Height  of  ramus  at  coronoid  process 2  .75 

Width  between  outsides  of  articular  surfaces (i  .10 

Width  between  posterior  teeth 2  .10 

Length  from  tip  to  anterior  notch  of  dental  foramen 11  .40 

Length  of  largest  teeth,  sharply  conical 0  .66 

Greatest  diameter  of  same 0  .13 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  superior  transverse  ridge  behind  the  frontals 15  .60 

Teeth  in  the  specimen  before  me,  l^f  by  J^.  The  anterior  six  on  each  side  above  are  barely 
indicated,  and  do  not  project  above  the  gums ;  the  next  four  on  each  side,  though  projecting,  are 
very  small.  Below,  47  teeth  on  each  side  are  plainly  visible,  and  there  is  room  for  four  or  five 
more  between  the  most  anterior  tooth  and  the  end  of  the  sj'mphysis.  The  teeth  are  very  sharply 
conical,  rather  wider  transversely  than  in  the  direction  of  the  ramus,  and  slightly  incurved  at  the 
tips.     The  number  in  the  other  specimen  is  reported  to  have  been  |^  on  each  side. 

The  principal  features  of  the  cranium,  as  compared  with  the  other  species  of  the  genus  Del' 
phimig  as  restricted  by  Gray  (1871),  are  the  great  length  of  the  beak  as  compared  with  the  brain- 
case,  and  the  remarkably  deep  channels  in  the  maxillary  bones  on  each  side  of  the  palatal  ridge, 
which  actually  overlaps  on  each  side  to  the  extent  of  0.2  of  an  inch.  Six  and  a  half  inches 
behind  the  end  of  tlie  beak,  a  groove  commences  in  the  median  line  of  the  palate,  which  widens 
anteriorly,  exposing  the  premaxillaries  near  the  end  of  the  beak.  Behind  the  point  mentioned, 
the  oalate  rapidly  rises  as  a  narrow  ridge  (from  0.7  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  in  width),  evenly 
rou;.aed  on  the  edges  and  slightly  convex  in  the  middle,  contracting  a  little  in  width  after  passing 
the  posterior  end  of  the  tooth  line ;  its  edges  overlapping  the  lateral  channels,  and  its  inferior 
face  extending  at  its  junction  with  the  palatines  to  the  distance  of  1.2  inch  below  the  superior 
arch  of  tho  niaxillarics.  A  groove  extends  posteriorly  between  ihe  palatines  and  pterygoids,  ter- 
minating in  a  slight  notch  between  the  latter,  which  notch  is  a  little  posterior  to  the  posterior 
termination  of  the  narial  septum.    The  pterygoid  and  tympanic  bones  are  wanting  in  this  specimen, 


CATALOGUE    OF   THE    CETACEA.  285 

with  the  exception  of  those  portions  of  the  former  which  form  the  deeply -notched  lateral  walls  of 
the  posterior  nares,  and  which  are  continuous  with  the  very  broad  lateral  expansions  of  the  basi- 
occipital.  The  occipital  condyles  are  nearly  an  inch  apart  at  their  closest  approximation  below; 
the  foramen  magnum  is  large,  rounded  below,  and  angular,  rather  than  notched,  above.  There  is 
a  sharp  vertical  lamina  on  the  inner  side  of  the  supra -occipital,  extending  forward  in  the  median 
line,  nearly  an  inch  from  the  inner  surface  of  the  supra -occipital,  and  terminating  below  about 
half  an  inch  above  the  foramen  in  a  small  triangular  tentorium,  from  which  slight  laterally 
extending  ridges  indicate  the  boundary  of  the  cerebellar  fossa. 

The  superior  aspect  of  the  cranium  presents  no  very  distinctive  features.  Compared  with 
Clymenia  nxicrops.  Gray,  as  figured  in  the  Zoology  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  pi.  25  (also,  in  Synopgia 
of  Whales  and  Dolphins,  4to.,  Gray,  1868,  pi.  25),  the  following  differences  are  noted:  The  pre- 
maxillse  are  narrower,  more  elevated  above  the  maxillte ;  the  nasal  triangle  er.tends  half  an  inch 
beyond  the  posterior  end  of  the  tooth  line  instead  of  falling  about  as  far  behind  it,  and  is  much 
more  acute  in  front  in  D.  Bairdii.  The  posterior  angle  of  the  supra -orbital  process  in  D.  Bairdii 
is  much  less  prominent,  when  viewed  from  above,  than  in  microps,  and  the  extension  of  the  max- 
illaries  over  the  jugals  is  less  elevated,  being  evenly  rounded  off  at  the  sides  and  in  front.  The 
supra -occipital  is  pressed  in  above  the  condyles,  and  the  superior  portion  of  it  is  more  roundly 
convex  than  in  microps.  The  proportion  of  the  beak  to  the  brain -case  is  greater  than  in  Clymenia 
stenorhynchus,  Gray,  and  the  beak  is  wider,  both  at  the  notches  and  anteriorly.  The  laterally 
channeled  palate  would  in  any  case  distinguish  it  from  the  species  of  Clymenia  and  Sleno,  to  which 
it  bears  a  superficial  resemblance.  In  the  anterior  third  of  the  beak,  the  premaxillis  evenly  slope 
off  toward  the  maxillee  in  the  same  plane,  and  are  separated  by  the  mesethmoid  cartilage.  Behind 
this,  however,  the  premaxilltc  are  solidly  united,  and  much  more  elevated  above  the  maxillie, 
forming  a  ridge  with  nearly  parallel  and  vertical  sides,  rounded  off  above,  and  attaining  a  maximum 
height  above  the  maxillie  of  0.43  of  an  inch.  The  nasal  triangle  is  evenly  excavated,  divided  by 
an  open  suture  terminating  in  a  notch  above  the  narial  septum.  The  mesethmoid  plate  is  provided 
with  a  submedian  ridge,  and  terminates  above  in  three  points.  The  nasals  are  knob -like  and 
rounded  transverse,  forming  the  vertex  of  the  skull. 

Cebvical  Vertebrje. — These  are  coossified  into  three  groups,  as  hereafter  mentioned;  but  it  is 
proliable  that  individuals  vary  in  this  respect  to  some  extent.  The  first  mass  has  a  total  diameter, 
from  point  to  point  of  the  transverse  processes,  of  5.35  inches ;  and  from  the  middle  lower  anterior 
edge  of  the  atlas  to  the  bifurcation  of  the  spinous  prtcess  of  3.65  inches.  The  neural  arch  is  1.10 
inch  high  and  1.53  inch  wide;  the  extreme  width  across  the  condylar  facets  is  3.3  inches.  The 
centrum  of  the  third  cervical  is  1.3  inch  wide  by  1.0  inch  high.  The  neural  arch  (incomplete  at 
the  top),  0.92  inch  high  by  1.0  inch  wide;  the  extreme  width  from  point  to  point  of  the  vertebm 
is  1.66  inch.  The  fifth  cervical  has  a  total  width  between  the  points  of  the  lower  transverse 
processes  of  1.57  inch.  The  height  of  the  centrum  is  1.1  inch;  of  the  neural  arch,  0.8  inch;  the 
width  of  the  centi-um  is  1.15  inch;  of  the  neural  arch,  0.89  inch.  The  length  of  that  part  of  the 
vertebral  column  composed  of  third,  fourth,  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  cervicals  is  1.2  inch,  and  that 
part  composed  of  the  atlas  and  axis,  1.0  inch  more.  The  neural  spine  of  the  seventh  cervical  is 
0.8  inch  long,  and  the  width  from  point  to  point  of  the  transverse  processes,  3.65  inches ;  of  the 
second  thoracic,  the  bpine  is  1.6  inch,  and  the  width  3.55  inches. 

The  first  matiii  consists  of  t)ie  atlas  and  axis  solidly  coossified  both  by  their  spines  and  bodies, 
so  that  the  only  vestige  of  separation  is  an  ovate  and  somewhat  oblique  opening  between  the 
pedicels  of  the  urclies.  The  inferior  portion  of  the  atlas  is  much  produced  forward,  giving  an 
oblique  appearance  to  the  whole  bone,  which  is  of  an  approx'mately  triangular  shape.  Its  arch  is 
transversely  ovate,  with  a  broad  triangular  space  between  Jxe  condylar  facets.  The  first  spinal 
nerve  enters  by  a  shallow  groove  over  the  latter.  The  transverse  proceises  appertaining  to  the 
atlas  are  rather  lung  and  obliquely  flattened  above  and  below,  with  a  slight  knob,  indicating  a 
superior  transverse  process,  just  above  thorn.  These  two  processes  are  separated  by  a  narrow 
groove  from  <.wo  nodular  projections  which  indicate  the  corresponding  parts  in  the  axis.  A  slight 
ridge  txists  on  the  inferior  surface  of  '.he  centrum.     The  neural  spine  is  very  broad,  stout,  and 


286  APPENDIX. 

moderately  long;  it  tapers  from  before  backward,  and  has  a  stout,  blunt,  bifid,  posterior  termina- 
tion. The  anterior  face  is  broadly  triangular,  the  base  of  the  triangle  (forming  the  superior  portion 
of  the  neural  arch )  being  straight.  The  spine  is  concave  below  and  grooved  throughout  its  extent ; 
the  triangular  portion  of  it  overshadowing  the  arches  of  the  third  and  fourth  vertebrsB.  The 
pedicels  of  the  axis  are  very  slender. 

The  centra  of  the  third  and  fourth  vertebne  are  coossified,  but  not  the  arches.  The  summit  of 
the  arch  in  the  third  is  incomplete  in  this  specimen,  and  the  pedicels  in  this  and  the  succeeding 
cervicals  are  slender  and  compressed.  In  the  third  and  fourth,  the  superior  transverse  processes 
are  only  slightly  indicated,  and  the  inferior  are  absent;  the  centra  are  slightly  pointed  below  and 
flattened  above,  though  generally  rotundate. 

The  fifth  and  sixth  cervicals  are  ankylosed  by  their  centra  and  inferior  transverse  processes, 
and  the  sixth  by  its  centrum  to  the  seventh  cervical,  forming  the  third  moss  preriously  mentioned. 

In  the  fifth  and  sixth,  short  inferior  transverse  processes  are  developed,  though  the  superior 
ones  are  insignificant.  The  centra  are  more  squarely  shaped  than  in  the  preceding.  There  are 
no  spinous  processes,  but  the  superior  portion  of  the  arches  is  rather  pointed.  The  planes  of  the 
zygapophyses  are  nearly  horizontal,  and  the  ar<'hp«  are  not  coossified.  The  pedicels  of  the  seventh 
cen'ical  are  much  broader,  and  long  recurved  superior  transverse  and  spinous  processes  are  devel- 
oped, though  the  inferior  transverse  processes  are  barely  indicated.  Two  rounded  knobs,  which 
are  nearer  the  summit  of  the  centrum  than  the  processes  of  the  preceding  cervicals,  serve  as  points 
of  articulation  for  the  head  of  the  first  rib.  In  the  first  thoracic,  this  tubercle  appeal's  lo  be 
missing,  though  it  re -appears  on  the  second.  Both  the  first  and  second  thoracic  have  strong, 
stout,  superior  tranRverse  processes,  with  large  and  prominent  facets  for  the  tubercular  articulations 
of  the  ribs.  The  vertebra  rapidly  increase  in  size  and  the  spinous  processes  in  length,  and  the 
centra  assume  a  more  rounded  outline. 

■^  ■■o  specimens  of  this  species  were  obtained  October  29th,  1872,  by  Captain  C.  M.  Scammon. 
The  entire  skeleton  of  one  specimen,  and  the  skull  and  cervical  vertebroe  of  the  other,  above 
described,  were  presen-ed.  The  former  is  now  in  the  Mus.  S.  I.  Of  the  species  included  under 
the  genus  DrIphinuK,  as  restricted  by  Gray  {Siipl.  Cat.  1871,  pp.  68-!)),  D.  hnyirostris  is  entirely 
black,  of  different  proportions,  with  the  posterior  part  of  the  palate  keeled  instead  of  gi'ooved,  and 
the  triangle  extending  only  to  the  tooth  line  instead  of  beyond  it.  (Reported  from  Japan.)  D. 
major  has  the  grooves  on  each  side  of  the  palate,  "veiy  wide  and  rather  shallow,  scarcely  extend- 
ing behind  the  hinder  half  of  the  beak."  (Habitat  unknown.)  D.  Fornteri  is  differently  colored 
and  proportioned.  (Norfolk  Island.)  £>.  obliquidfiia,  Gill,  belongs  to  another  genus.  The  remain- 
der are  all  Atlantic  species. 

Of  other  species  of  unknown  or  Pacific  habitats,  which  have  been  described  from  drawings,  or 
of  which  the  skull  is  unknown,  and  to  some  of  which  this  species  might  be  suspected  to  belong, 
D.  Niivai  ZflamUai  is  differently  colored  (though  the  distribution  of  the  color  is  somewhat  similar), 
and  has  a  short  beak;  the  pectorals  are  white  and  the  flukes  slate  color;  1).  obxcunm,  Gray,  to 
which  Peale's  Phocasua  augtraUn  and  D'Orbigny's  D.  bivUlatuH  have  been  refeiTcd  by  Cassin  and 
Gray,  belongs  to  on  entirely  different  group.  None  of  Peale's  other  species  resemble  this  one  ot 
all,  ond  ofter  long  and  careful  consideration,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  species  is 
uuilescribed  ;  and  it  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  have  followed  the  request  of  Captain  Hcammon, 
and  dedicated  it  to  Professor  S.  F.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  to  wLose  never-tiring 
courtesy  and  unfailing  liberality  nearly  every  American  naturalist  is  more  or  less  indebted. 

Delphlnus  longirostrls. 

V.  lougiroHlris,  Gray,  18GG,  p.  241;   1868,  p.  5;   1871,  p.  C8.     Schlegel,  F.  Jap.,  pi.  24. 

Japan  ? 

Eighty-one  inches  long.  Block,  with  large  high  dorsal.  Skull,  22  inches;  beak,  13j  inches; 
teeth,  J  J.  Stuffed  specimen.  Cope  of  Good  Hope;  B.  M.  Skull,  Molobar;  Mus.  Paris.  Drawing, 
Japan ;  Sclilogel. 


CATALOGUE    Ot    THE    CETACEA.  287 

Delphlnus  mi^or. 

D.  major,  Gray,  1866,  p.  397;  1868,  p.  5;  1871,  p.  68. 

Habitat? 

Skull,  21   inches;  beak,  12J   inches;  width  at  notch,  ^  inches.     Teeth,  |4>  ^^^  ^^  ^^  '°^^' 
Palate  grooves  very  wide  and  rather  shallow.     Skull  only,  B.  M. 


Gen  as  Clymenia,  Gray. 
Clynienia,  Gray,  1868,  p.  6  ;    1871,  p.  69. 
Clymene,  Gray,  1866,  p.  249. 
Type  B.  clymene,  Gray,  1866,  p.  249. 

Cljrnienla  alope. 

C.  alope,  Gray,  1866,  p.  252;  1868,  p.  6,  pi.  32;  1871,  p.  70. 

Cape  Horn. 

Cranium,  16J  inches;  beak,  lOf  inches;  width  at  notch,  3J  inches.     Teeth,  Jf.     Skull  only, 
MuB.  Warwick. 

Clymenia  stenorhynohus. 

Delphinua  stenorhynchua.  Gray,  1866,  pp.  240,  396. 

C.  slenorhynchug,  Gray,  1868,  p.  6;   1871,  p.  69. 

Habitat? 

Cranium,  18  inches ;  beak,  12  inches ;  width  at  notch,  3  inches.     Teeth,  f|.     Like  C.  micropa, 
but  larger,  with  proportionally  longer  beak.     Skull  only,  B.  M. 

Clymenia  dorides. 

Tursio  dorcidea,  Gray,  1866,  p.  400. 

(7.  dorideg.  Gray,  1868,  p.  6;   1871,  p.  71. 

Habitat  ? 

Skull  thick  and  hea%'y;  beak  once  and  one-third  the  length  of  the  brain-case;  twice  and  one- 
third  the  width  at  the  notch.     Palate  flat.     Teeth,  f|,  slender,  five  in  an  inch.     Skull  only,  B.  M. 

Clymenia  obsoura. 

Delphinua  FUzroyi,  Waterhouse. 

D.  biviitalus,  D'Orbigny. 

Phocwua  auslralig,  Peale,  Zool.  U.  S.  Ex.  Exp.,  pi.  6,  fig,  2,  1848. 

Tursio  obscurua.  Gray,  1866,  pp.  264,  400. 

C.  obsciira.  Gray,  1868,  p.  6,  pi.  16;  1871,  p.  71,  fig.  3. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  South  Pacific. 

Black,  with  oblique  diverging  streaks  at  the  sides;  beneath,  whitish.     Length,  15  feet.     Skull, 
14  inches.     Teetl,  f^  to  |f     Full  material,  B.  M. 

Clymenia  sesthenops. 

,    Delphinua  wsthenopa.  Cope,  Proo.  Phil.  Acad.  1865,  p.  201. 
C.  (Bsllienoiis,  Gray,  1871,  p.  72. 

Habitat? 

Cranium,  15  inches;  beak,  9  inches;  width  at  notch,  3.3  inches.     Teeth,  ||,  to  |J.     Skull 
only,  Mas.  Peabody  Academy  of  Science,  Salem,  Mass. 


288  APPENDIX. 

Clymenia  orotaphisoa. 

Delpkinus  crotaphiscus.  Cope,  1.  c,  1865,  p.  203. 
C.  crotaphigcus.  Gray,  1871,  p.  72. 

Habitat? 

Cranium,  16  inches;  heak,  10  inches,  flat;  width  at  notch,  3J  inches.  Teeth,  jj.  Temporal 
fossa  small;  a  keel  in  front  of  superior  nares.     Skull  only,  Mus.  Peabody  Academy. 

Clsrmeiila  longldens. 

Delphinm  longidenx.  Cope,  Proo.  Phil.  Acad.  1866,  p.  295. 

Habitat? 

Teeth,  |^.  Skull,  15.25  inches.  Beak,  to  maxillary  notches,  8.25  inches.  Breadth  at  notch, 
3.55  inches.     Skull  only,  S.  I. 

Professor  Cope,  in  criticising  Doctor  Gray's  arrangement,  suggests  that  Sleno,  Delphinus,  Lageno- 
rhynchus,  and  Tursio  can  form  but  one  genus  if  further  characters  can  not  be  brought  forward. 
While  this  criticism  might  be  somewhat  justified  by  the  confused  arrangement  of  the  Catalogue  of 
1866,  yet  it  would  seem  as  if  that  of  1871  to  some  extent  remedied  the  difficulty,  and  that  the 
groups  there  indicated  are  natural  ones,  and  recognizable,  though  perhaps  some  of  them  are  of 
less  value  than  supposed  by  Doctor  Gray.  In  this  new  light  Professor  Cope's  view  would  hardly 
seem  tenable. 

Clymenia  plagiodon. 

Delphinus  (Tursio)  plagiodon,  Cope,  1,  c,  p.  296. 

Habitat? 

Skull,  17  inches.  Beak  to  notch,  9.8  inches.  Width  at  notch,  3.55  inches.  Greatest  width 
of  skull,  7.25  inches.  Teeth,  ||.  Triangle  advancing  a  little  before  the  last  tooth.  Besembles 
Gray's  figure  of  C.  doris.     Skull  only,  S.  I. 


Genus  Tursiops,  Gorvais. 
Ihrsiopis,  Gervnis,  Mammif.,  p.  323. 
Tursio,  Gray,  1866,  p.  254. 
Type  B.  tursio,  Linn. 

TursiopB  Oillli.     Outline,  p.  102. 

T.  Oillii,  Dall,  Prel.  Descr.  Proc.  Cal.  Acad,  v,  January,  1873. 
Coujfish,  Scammon,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1869,  p.  45. 

Monterey,  California. 

Dull  black,  lighter  on  the  belly.     Dorsal  low,  falcate.     Teeth,  |J  to  J|? 

A  lower  jnw  of  the  present  species,  which  is  the  only  portion  of  the  animal  yet  collected  by 
Captain  Scammon,  has  twenty-two  teeth  on  each  side.  The  rami  are  solid  and  strong,  especially 
their  anterior  halves.  The  symphysis  is  short,  extending  backward  as  far  as  the  fifth  tooth.  The 
gonys  is  more  produced  downward  than  in  any  of  the  species  figured  by  Gray,  ond  is  evenly 
rounded  upward  in  front.  The  ramus  has  the  least  height  a)>out  the  middle  of  the  tooth  line, 
which  rises  before  and  behind.  The  anterior  six  teeth  are  smaller  than  the  others,  and  much  more 
incurved.  The  teeth  are  solid  and  conical,  with  the  tips  attenuated  and  sharply  pointed,  which 
accounts  for  the  ease  with  which  they  may  become  truncated.  The  outer  margins  of  the  alveoli 
are  remarkably  rough,  being  produced  in  arborescent  points  resembling  the  septa  of  some  ammon- 
ites.    The  gonys  is  somewhat  iieoled.     The  condyles  are  broad,  of  a  rounded  triangular  shape, 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  289 

with  the  inner  edges  obliquely  inclined  to  the  vertical  plane  of  the  ramus.     The  measurements,  in 
inches  and  decimals,  are  as  follow : 

Length  from  end  of  beak  to  condyles 16  .80 

Length  from  end  of  beak  to  end  of  coronoid  process 15  .80 

Length  from  end  of  beak  to  end  of  tooth  line 9  .30 

Length  from  end  of  beak  to  inner  notch  of  dental  foramen 11  .00 

Length  of  symphysis 2  .00 

Width  between  outer  edges  of  condyles 9  .75 

Width  between  inner  comers  of  condyles 6  .50 

Width  between  two  posterior  teeth 3  .50 

Width  between  teeth  at  posterior  end  of  symphysis 1  .40 

Width  between  anterior  teeth 0  .75 

Height  of  ramus  at  coronoid  process 4  .40 

Height  of  ramus  at  posterior  tooth 2  .25 

Height  of  ramus  at  twelfth  pair  of  teeth 1  ,50 

Height  of  ramus  at  middle  of  symphysis 1  .70 

Thickness  of  ramus  at  twelfth  pair  of  teeth 0  .85 

Height  of  largest  tooth  above  alveolus 0  .80 

Height  of  smallest  tooth  above  alveolus 0  .42 

Transverse  diameter  of  larger  teeth 0  .38 

Diameter  in  the  plane  of  the  ramus 0  .33 

The  angle  at  which  the  rami  meet  behind  the  symphysis  is  quite  acute.  The  anterior  end  of 
the  symphysis  from  above  appears  bluntly  rounded,  and  has  a  narrow  median  groove. 

This  species  does  not  appear  to  have  been  described,  and  though  the  material  at  hand  is 
unfortunately  very  slender,  I  have  applied  to  it  the  name  of  Tutsiops  Gillii.  The  specimen  was 
obtained  at  Monterey,  California,  in  1871.  The  hardly-worn  appearance  of  the  teeth  suggests  that 
it  was  a  young  animal,  though  the  bones  are  thoroughly  solidified.  The  only  other  species  which 
may  be  found  in  the  books,  from  the  Pacific  or  its  vicinity,  is  the  T.  catalania,  Gray,  N.  W. 
Australia,  and  it  is  described  as  being  lead -colored. 


Genus  Oephalorhynchus,  F.  Cuvicr. 

Cephahrhynchus,  F.  Cuvier,  Cetac,  p.  158. 

Futropia,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  18G2,  p.  145;    1866,  p.  262;   1871,  p.  75, 

JephalorhynohuB  Eutropia. 

Belphinus  Eutropia,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1849,  p.  1. 

Eutropia  Dickiei,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1866,  p,  215;  1868,  p.  7,  pi.  34;  1871,  p.  75. 

Turaio  Eutropia,  Gray,  1866,  p.  262. 

Coast  of  Chile,  South  Pacific  Ocean. 

Skull,  15   inches;   beak,  8  inches;    width   at  notch,  3.5  inches.      Sides  of   skull   bent  down  i 

behind  the  notch.     Teeth,  |J,  five  or  six  in  an  inch.     Skull  only.  Coll,  Dickie.  | 

Some  one  of  the  species  described  from  drawings,  and  of  which  the  skull  is  unknown,  may  be  ' 

identical  with  this. 

llAam  liAiniAU.-M. 


290  APPENDIX. 

Genus  IiageXLOrhynchUS,  Gray. 
Lagenorhynchns,  Gray,  Ztol.  E.  and  T.,  1846,  p.  34;   1850,  p.  97. 

Section  Ekdra,  Gray. 
Eleclra,  Gray,  1866,  p.  268;  1871,  p.  76. 

Lagenorhynohus  eleotra. 

L.  electro.  Gray  (1846),  1866,  p.  268. 

Eleotra  obtusa,  Gray,  1868,  p.  7,  pi.  13 ;  1871,  p.  76. 

Habitat? 

Skull,  17.5  inches;  beak,  9.76  inches;  width  at  notch,  5.5  inches.  Teeth,  }^,  four  in  an  inch. 
Skull  only,  B.  M. 

Lagenorhynohus  aaia. 

L.  asm,  Gray,  1866,  p.  269. 

Electra  asia,  Gray,  1868,  p.  7,  pi.  14;  1871,  p.  76. 

Habitat? 

Skull,  16.75  inches;  beak,  9  inches;  width  at  notch,  4.75  inches.  Teeth,  f|.  Skull  only, 
B.  M. 

Lagenorhynohus  olanoulus. 

L.  clanculus.  Gray,  1866,  p.  271. 

Electra  clancula,  Gray,  1868,  p.  7,  pi.  35;  1871,  p.  77. 

South  Pacific,  New  Zealand. 

Skull,  14.5  inches;  beak,  7.25  inches;  width  at  notch,  4.75  inches.  Teeth,  ||.  Skeleton  and 
skulls,  B.  M. 

Lagenorhynohus  thioolea. 

L.  thicolea.  Gray,  1866,  p.  271. 

Electra  thicolea,  Gray,  1868,  p.  7,  pi.  36;  1871,  p.  77. 

West  coast  of  North  America. 

Skull,  14.5  inches;  beak,  8.33  inches;  width  at  notch,  3.9  inches.  Teeth,  f^?  Skull  only, 
B.  M. 

Compare  Clymenia  crolaphisca,  Cope.  This  is  very  likely  to  be  one  of  the  species  described 
from  drawings  by  Peale. 

Section  Leucopkurus,  Gray. 
Leucopleurua,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1866,  p.  216;  1868,  p.  7;  1871,  p.  78. 

Lagenorhynohus  obllquidens.     Plate  xis,  fig.  2. 

L.  obliquidens.  Gill,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1865,  p.  177. 

Delphinm  obliquidens.  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1869,  p.  21;  Gray,  1871,  p.  69. 

Striped  or  Common  Porpoise  of  Scammon. 

California. 

Not  the  "Bottle-nosed  Grampus"  of  Scammon,  as  supposed  by  Cope,  loc.  cit. 

I  have  been  able  to  identify  this  species  by  means  of  photographs  of  Professor  Gill's  typical 
specimen,  which  were  kindly  sent  me  by  Professor  Baird.  It  diflTers,  however,  in  some  particulars, 
from  those  I  have  examined.  The  skull  is  a  little  larger  oxA  longer,  the  pterj'goids  ore  less 
pointed,  tie  temporal  fossa  smaller,  and  the  edges  of  the  triangle  are  higher  and  more  extended 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  291 

laterally,  than  in  the  specimens  which  I  have  seen.  The  teeth  are  more  numerous  (|f ),  f.nd  the 
occipital  condyles  less  rounded  and  prominent,  but  larger.  It  is  quite  possible  that  this  sk.'.!l  may 
be  that  of  a  male.  Those  which  I  have  examined  were  both  of  females.  I  consider  the  difforences 
as  at  most  no  more  than  sexual,  and  probably  only  individual  peculiarities;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
whatever  of  the  identity  of  Captain  Scammon's  species  with  that  described  by  Professor  Gill. 

It  is  evidently  the  most  abundant  species  on  the  coast  of  California,  and  varies  considerably  in 
size  with  age.     It  is  very  close  to  L.  leucopleurus  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  following  are  the  measurements  of  two  crania,  in  inches  and  decimals : 

No.  1.  No.  a. 

Length  of  skull  in  a  straight  line 16  .00  15  .50 

Internal  length  of  brain  cavity .  5  .00  5  .00 

Length  of  beak  before  the  maxillary  notches. 8  .00  8  .20 

Tip  of  beak  to  anterior  margin  of  superior  nares 10  .25  10  .00 

Tip  of  beak  to  posterior  notch  of  palate 9  .75  ? 

Tip  of  beak  to  posterior  tooth 7  .40  7  .75 

Height  of  skull  at  vertex 6  .75  5  .50 

Greatest  breadth  at  zygomatic  process  of  squamosals 8  .20  7  .50 

Breadth  at  supra-orbital  ridge 7  .20  6  .30 

Breadth  between  maxillary  notches 4  .60  4  .00 

Breadth  at  middle  of  beak 3  .40  2  .80 

Width  of  condyles 4  .00  3  .25 

Closest  approximation  of  condyles  below  the  foramen  magnum 0  .12  0  .18 

Height  of  foramen  magnum 1  .35  1  .30 

Width  of  foramen  magnum 1  .35  1  .50 

Entire  length  of  ramus  of  lower  jaw 13  .00  12  .00? 

Tip  to  posterior  edge  of  last  tooth  in  lower  jaw 7  .50  6  .75 

Length  of  symphysis 1  .30  1  .00 

Height  of  ramus  at  coronoid  process 3  .00  2  .60 

Height  of  ramus  at  four  inches  from  tip  of  anterior  end 1  .00  0  .95 

Width  between  outsidcs  of  articular  surfaces 7  .25  6  .40 

Width  between  posterior  teeth 3  .60  3  .50 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  superior  transverse  ridge  behind  f rentals..  13  .00  12  .00 

Length  from  tip  of  ramus  to  anterior  notch  of  inferior  dental  foramen,  9  .00  7  .75 

Greatest  width  of  premaxi'laries 3  .75  ? 

Width  of  premaxillaries  at  middle  of  beak 2  .10  1  .00 

The  surface  of  the  beak  in  No.  1  is  moderately  and  quite  regularly  arched  from  side  to  side, 
no  grooves  separating  the  maxilhe  and  premaxillue.  The  nasal  triangle  is  nearly  plane  but  elevated, 
and  its  surface  rough ;  behind,  it  gradually  ascends ;  before,  it  is  gradually  incurved,  and  is  con- 
tinued as  a  narrow  internal  margin  to  the  premaxillic,  to  the  anterior  fourth  of  the  beak;  its 
greatest  width  is  less  than  half  the  width  of  the  cranium.  The  mesethmoid  groove  is  wide,  and 
scarce!'  contracted  in  the  middle.  The  supra -occipital  projects  forward,  nearly  or  quite  touching 
the  nasals.     The  temporal  fossae  project  far  backward. 

The  teeth  are  {J  in  number,  elongated  and  boldly  curved,  about  four  in  an  inch.  The  occiput 
is  deeply  impressed  obove  the  condyles.  The  mesethmoid  plate  is  sharply  pointed  above,  and 
divided  into  three  lobes  behind  the  narial  openings,  by  perpendicular  sutures,  which  are  evident 
for  an  inch  and  a  half  vertically.  The  mesethmoid  -t  evident  for  nearly  an  inch  between  the 
premaxillto  in  front  of  the  superior  nares.  The  pterygoids  are  obtusely  keeled  below,  but  not  at 
the  sides,  and  deeply  roundly  notched  laterally.  The  palate  is  flat,  constricted  slightly  at  the 
palatines,  and  somewhat  concave  in  the  anterior  half  of  the  jaw.  The  periotics  are  wanting.  A 
very  peculiar  feature  of  the  cranium  is  the  enormous  development  of  the  tentorium.  The  septum 
above  it  projects  into  the  brain -case  nearly  two  inches.     From  the  base  of  this  septum,  half  an 


292  APPENDIX. 

inch  above  the  foramen  magnum,  the  broad  arch  of  the  tentoriunc,  as  lung  in  its  axial  diameter  as 
the  septum,  extends  on  each  side  a  little  farther  than  the  upper  exterior  angles  of  the  condyles, 
thence  giving  out  a  triangular  wing  on  each  side,  which,  attenuating  as  it  descends,  reaches  the 
floor  of  the  brain  cavity  in  advance  of  the  opening  between  the  alisphenoid  and  ex-occipital,  and 
is  ankylosed  with  the  former.  The  cerebellar  fossa  is  thus  almost  completely  inclosed,  communi- 
cating with  the  cerebral  fossa  only  by  an  opening  in  the  front  of  the  arch  but  little  larger  than 
the  foramen  magnum,  and  by  the  narrow  openings  between  the  outer  edges  of  the  wings  of  the 
tentorium,  bounded  below  by  the  alisphenoid,  and  laterally  by  the  ex-occipital  wall.  The  septum 
ceases  abruptly  in  front,  below  the  frontal  and  supra -occipital  suture.  ..\.  ridge  from  the  front  of 
the  tentorial  wings  is  coossified  with  the  orbito- sphenoid,  above  the  sphenoidal  fissure;  the  latter 
in  this  species  being  posterior  to  and  distinct  from  the  foramen  rotundum,  which  opens  into  the 
cerebral  "avity. 

In  No.  2,  the  dimensions  were  constantly  smaller,  the  skull  belonging  to  a  younger,  though 
fully  adult  individual.  The  teeth  were  |J-,,  the  tip  of  the  lower  jaws  being  mutilated.  The  ten- 
torium presented  the  same  features  as  in  No.  1,  and  the  skull  o£fered  no  special  peculiarities  not 
common  to  the  other. 

The  scapula  and  cervical  vertebrae  of  a  third  specimen,  of  which  the  entire  skk^leton  was 
preserved,  oflfered  the  following  peculiarities  :  The  external  face  of  the  scapula  is  flattened,  slightly 
excavated  in  the  middle,  and  with  a  slight  ridge  behind.  The  prescapular  fossa  is  inconspicuous, 
but  has  a  width  of  three-quarters  of  an  inch  on  the  outer  face  of  the  scapula,  above  the  acromion. 
The  latter  is  «o  shaped,  notched  above  behind,  with  a  projecting  process  below  in  front.  The 
upper  anterior  corner  is  connected  with  the  anterior  angle  of  the  prescapular  fossa  by  a  strong 
ligament;  the  anterior  termination  of  the  acromion  is  incurved,  and  externally  convex.  The  cora- 
coid  is  triangular,  with  the  distal  edge  thickened,  anteriorly  excavated,  and  knobbed  at  the  corners. 
The  external  surface  is  concave.  The  glenoid  cavity  is  sub-rotundate ;  the  post- scapular  edge  is 
evenly  rounded  in  a  sigmoid  curve.  Beyond  the  upper  posterior  corner  a  triangular  mass  of 
cartilage  extends  beyond  the  bone,  an  inch  in  its  greatest  width.  The  inner  face  of  the  scapula 
is  flattened,  with  three  or  four  narrow  low  ridges  radiating  from  the  glenoid  border.  The  inner 
surface  of  the  coracoid  is  convex,  and  of  the  acromion  concave.  The  measurements  are  as  follow, 
ia  inches  and  decimals  : 

Greatest  length  of  scapula 9  .50 

Greatest  length  of  acromion 3  .00 

Greatest  length  of  coracoid 2  .25 

Greatest  diameter  of  glenoid  cavity 1  .30 

Glenoid  cavity  to  anterior  angle 6  .25 

Glenoid  cavity  io  superior  border 6  .00 

Glenoid  cavity  to  posterior  angle 6  .00 

Glenoid  cavity  to  anterior  angle  of  acromion 4  .50 

Glenoid  cavity  to  anterior  angle  of  coracoid 3  .00 

Glenoid  cavity  to  pr  terior  angle  of  coracoid 2  .00 

The  cervical  vertebrm  oflfer  some  differences  from  those  of  Detphinua  Bairdii.  The  atlas  and 
axis  are  r  idly  coossified  by  both  body  and  spines ;  the  others  are  all  free,  though  whether  in 
aged  individuals  this  condition  continues,  is  a  matter  of  ^oubt  It  is  probable,  from  the  generally 
abnormal  condition  of  the  cervical  vertebrae  in  the  Cetacea,  that  comparatively  wide  variations  in 
the  amount  of  ankylosis  may  obtain  in  different  individuals  of  the  same  species,  and  also  in  the 
same  individual  at  different  ages.  The  bones  in  this  individual  are  larger  and  stronger  than  in 
D.  Bairdii,  but  the  spinal  canal  is  proportionately  smaller.  The  canal  of  the  first  spinal  nerve, 
which  in  D.  Bairdii  is  a  shallow  groove  behind  the  upper  edge  of  the  condylar  facets,  is  here  (by 
a  slender  process  extending  upward  and  backward  from  that  edge,  and  coalescing  with  the  anterior 
base  of  the  spinous  process)  converted  into  a  foramen.  The  spine  is  keeled  and  convex  below, 
instead  of  excavated,  and  flat,  with  a  very  narrow  median  keel,  above.     The  spine  is  broader,  acd 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  298" 

not  distinctly  bifurcated.  TLe  lower  transverse  processes  in  the  axis,  instead  of  being  obsolete,  as 
in  D.  Bairdii,  are  here  produced  into  sharp  points.  A  median  triangular  area  on  the  lower  surface 
of  the  centrum  (wanting  in  D.  Bairdii)  is  here  very  prominent,  and  continued  backward  by  a 
strong,  deep  keel.  In  the  posterior  vertebrae,  all  except  the  third  are  provided  with  a  more  or 
less  evident  spinous  process,  while  in  D.  Bairdii  none  except  the  seventh  shows  any  spine.  In 
the  present  species  the  cervicals  behind  the  axis  are  more  nearly  equal  in  size  than  in  the  former, 
and  the  upper  and  lower  transverse  processes  are  more  strongly  developed.  In  the  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth  cervicals  in  the  median  line,  below  and  in  front  of  the  base  of  the  neural  spine,  projects 
a  smoU  triangular  prolongation  of  the  bone,  connected  with  the  axis  in  the  Jiird,  and  with  the 
preceding  vertebrse  in  the  fourth  and  fifth,  by  a  small  but  unmistakable  articular  surface  or  facet. 
The  pedicels  of  the  neural  canal  are  more  arched  laterally  than  in  D.  Bairdii,  giving  the  passage 
a  more  flattened  appearance  than  in  that  species.  The  following  measurements  will  facilitate  a 
comparison : 

Coossified  otlas  and  axis,  extreme  width,  6.0  inches;  from  the  middle  of  the  lower  anterior 
edge  to  the  posterior  point  of  the  spine,  4.1  inches.  Height  of  neural  arch,  1.0  inch;  widsa,  1.5 
inch.  Extreme  width  of  condylar  facets,  3.6  inches.  Third  vertebra :  width  of  centrum,  1.58  inch ; 
of  neural  arch,  1.15  inch;  height  of  centrum,  1.42  inch;  of  orch,  0.8  inch.  Extreme  width  of 
vertebra  between  the  points  of  the  transvei-se  processes,  2.25  inches.  Lcmgth  of  tliat  part  of  the 
vertebral  column  consisting  of  the  five  posterior  cervicals,  1.6  inch.  i>itla8  and  axis,  1.35  inch 
more.  The  neural  spine  of  the  seventh  cervical  is  0.93  inch,  and  the  extreme  width  between  the 
points  of  the  transverse  processes  is  3.75  inches.  The  spinous  processes  of  the  fourth,  fifth,  and 
sixth  cervicals  average  about  0.3  inch  in  length.  The  head  of  the  first  rib  articulates  with  the 
body  of  the  seventh  cervical,  as  in  D.  Bairdii. 

The  animal  is  rather  thick  in  proportion  to  its  length;  black  above,  with  a  strongly  falcate 
dorsal.  Below,  white,  to  the  edge  of  the  patch  passing  froii  the  lower  lip  below  the  pectorals 
and  terminating  a  short  distance  behind  the  vent.  A  broad  gray  smouch  on  each  side  above  the 
line  of  the  black  color,  and  interrupted  about  the  middle  of  the  animal  on  each  side;  the  edges 
of  the  gray  are  ill  defined.  The  posterior  edges  of  the  pectorals  and  dorsal  are  also  grayish. 
Length  of  animal,  7  feet  and  3  inches ;  breadth  of  flukes,  2  feet ;  tip  of  snout  to  anterior  edge  of 

dorsal,  3  feet. 

Full  descriptions  of  the  colors  and  full  measurements  are  given  by  Captain  Scammon  in  the 
preceding  monograph.  A  complete  skeleton  and  the  additional  skull  above  described  were  obtained 
from  two  female  specimens  taken  at  Monterey,  November  20th,  1872;  besides  which,  one  other 
skull  is  in  Captain  Scammon's  possession,  and  one  in  the  collection  of  the  California  Academy  of 
Sciences. 

Ijagenorh3rnohus  alblrostratus  ? 

Delphinus  albirostralus ?   Peale,  U.  S.  Ex.  Exp.  1848;  pi.  6,  fig.  2. 
D.  ceruleo-albus  (Mayen)  Cassin,  1.  c,  p.  31,  pi.  vi,  fig.  2. 

Pocific  Ocean,  latitude  2°  south,  longitude  174°  west.     Peale. 

Blue  gray,  with  small  vermicular  white  spots.  End  of  snout  white ;  dorsal  nearest  the  head. 
Six  feet  and  seven  inches  long;   teeth,  JJ,.     No  specimens;   described  from  drawing  (Peale). 

This  species  is  referred  by  Cassin  (as  I  think,  erroneously)  to  V.  ceruleo-albus,  Mayen,  a  south 
Atlantic  species;   and  to  D.  Chanmsonis,  Wiegm.,  by  Gray. 

Captain  Marston,  of  the  schooner  Maggie  Johiuslone,  on  a  voyage  from  Tahiti  to  San  Francisco, 
obtained  a  specimen  of  a  porpoise  which  is  not  improbably  the  species  described  by  Peale.  He 
informed  me  that  the  animal  was  gray,  ligliter  below  and  darker  above ;  that  some  of  the  same 
"school"  had  whit«  noses,  but  in  others  the  snout  was  light  gray.  The  dorsal  is  rather  small. 
The  specimen  wos  obtained  in  latitude  13°  north.  Tlie  skull  presents  intermediate  characters 
between  several  of  Gray's  sections,  and  agrees  with  none  of  the  skulls  described  or  figured  in  the 
works  accessible  to  me.     It  is  in  the  collection  of  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences. 


294  APPENDIX. 

The  following  are  its  dimensions,  in  inches  and  decimals : 

Length  of  skull  in  straight  line : 14  .00 

Internal  length  of  brain  cavity 4  .25 

Length  of  beak  anterior  to  maxillary  notches 8  .00 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  anterior  margin  of  superior  nares G  .30 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  notch  of  palate 9  .20 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  tooth 6  .75 

Height  of  skull  at  vertex 5  .40 

Greatest  breadth  at  zygomatic  process  of  squamosals 6  .50 

Breadth  at  supra- orbital  ricige 5  .50 

Breadth  between  maxillary  notches 3  .25 

Breadth  at  middle  of  beak 1  .75 

"VVidth  of  condyles 3  .20 

Closest  approximation  of  condyles  below  the  foramen  magnum 0  .22 

Height  of  foramen  magnum 1  .40 

■\Vidth  of  foramen  magnum 1  .50 

Entire  length  of  ramus  of  lower  jaw 11  .90 

Tip  to  posterior  edge  of  last  tooth  in  lower  jaw 7  .00 

Length  of  symphysis 1  .50 

Height  of  ramus  at  coronoid  process 2  .20 

Height  of  ramus  3.5  inches  from  tip  of  anterior  end 0  .CO 

Width  between  outsides  of  articular  surfaces 5  .20 

Width  between  posterior  teeth 1  .70 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  superior  transverse  ridge  behind  frontals 11  .25 

Length  from  tip  to  anterior  notch  of  inferior  dental  foramen 7  .70 

Greatest  width  of  premaxillaries 2  .50 

Width  of  premaxillaries  at  middle  of  beak 0  .90 

Teeth,  ^f,  six  in  an  inch,  subcylindrical,  conical,  recurved  at  tip,  sharply  pointed.  Coronoid 
process,  slender,  inconspicuous ;  jaws  thin  and  light.  Anterior  three  teeth  minute.  Premaxillte 
sepai-ated  widely  by  the  mesethmoid  cartilage,  approximating  more  nearly  ot  the  middle  of  the 
beak,  hard,  rather  flat  in  front.  Beak  rather  flat,  evenly  shelving  at  the  sides.  Nasal  triangle 
passing  an  inch  before  the  hinder  tooth,  rough  anteriorly,  subcariuate  in  the  middle  behind,  on 
the  left  side  not  reaching  the  nasals.  Maxillse  sharply  turned  up  before  the  notch,  evenly  rounded 
ofl"  behind  it.  All  the  bones  of  the  left  side  a  little  shorter  behind,  and  the  left  nasal  smaller 
and  in  advance  of  the  right.  Brain  cavity  larger  on  the  left  side.  Septum  and  tentorium  small 
and  inconspicuous.  Lateral  keels  of  the  pterj-goids  flattened.  Vomer  extended  back  as  far  as  the 
posterior  edge  of  the  zygomatic  process  of  the  squamosals.  Posterior  ridge  of  the  temporal  fossa 
obsolete.  Mesethmoid  appearing  between  the  maxillee  for  Ij  inch  in  the  middle  of  the  beak,  and 
succeeded  by  the  premaxillm,  to  the  end  of  the  beak.  Palatines  separated  by  a  slight  groove. 
Lateral  notches  of  the  pterj-goids,  narrow,  small.  The  portion  of  the  basi  -  occipital  gutter  formed 
by  the  vomer  and  pterygoids,  narrower  than  the  inferior  nares.  Palate  flattened  above,  imjiressed 
before  the  palatines,  with  a  tendency  toward  lateral  grooves  at  the  outer  edges.  Skull  evidently  of 
a  young  animal. 

Genus?   FerOSa,  Gray. 
Fereaa,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1870,  p.  77;   1871,  p.  78. 

Feresa  intermedia. 

Feresa  intermedia,  Gray,  1871,  p.  78. 

Orca  intermedia.  Gray,  1866,  p.  283 ;  1868,  p.  8,  pi.  8. 
Habitat  ? 

Skull  resembling  Orca,  but  only  14  inches  long ;  beak,  7  inches ;  width  at  notch,  4J  inches. 
Teeth,  ff.     Skull  only,  B.  M. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  295 


Species  inceiice  sedis. 


The  following  species  are  known  only  from  drawings,  or  very  insufficient  materials;  most  of 
them  (unless  we  except  those  of  Mr.  Peale,  whose  delineations  have  proved  in  at  least  one  case 
to  be  remarkably  accurate)  can  hardly  hope  for  identification,  and  it  is  very  probable  that  many 
of  them  are  identical  with  species  described  from  skulls  only.  It  is  of  course  impossible  to 
determine  the  genus  of  any  of  them ;  and  it  would  be  a  relief,  if  they,  together  with  the  species 
erected  on  aboriginal  pottery  and  carvings,  and  drawings  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  artists  (!),  could 
be  wiped  away  from  our  books  altogether. 

Dblphinus  albimanus,  Peale,  Zool.  U.  S.  Ex.  Exp.,  ed.  i,  p.  33,  1848;  Cassin,  Mamm.  ditto,  p.  29, 
pi.  vi,  fig.  1. 

Coast  of  Chile. 

Head,  back,  and  flukes,  black ;  sides,  tawny ;  belly,  white ;  top  of  pectorals,  white.  Length, 
6  feet  6  inches.      $     Snout  to  eye,  12  inches.     Teeth,  ^. 

No  specimens  known.     Referred  to  Z>.  Novce-Zelandiae  by  Cassin,  but  not  by  Gray. 

Delphisus  Forsteri,  Gray,  1868,  p.  6,  pi.  24. 

New  Caledonia. 

Rust  colored  above;  beneath,  white;  a  small  white  spot  on  the  disk  of  the  dorsal  and  pectoral 
fins.  Six  feet  long.  Teeth,  JJ.  No  specimens  known.  Described  from  Forster's  drawing.  Per- 
haps the  same  as  C.  microps,  Gray. 

Delphinus  lateraus,  Peale,  1.  c,  p.  35,  pi.  8,  fig.  1,  1848;  Cassin,  Mamm.  ditto,  p.  32,  pi.  vii, 
fig.  1. 

Pacific  Ocean,  latitude  13°  north,  longitude  161°  west. 

Dark  above,  purplish  gray  below,  with  a  dark  lateral  line  with  light  spots  above  and  below  it. 
Fins  and  snout,  black.  Length,  90  inches.  Teeth,  {^.  No  specimens;  described  from  drawings. 
Referred  to  Lagenorhynchus,  by  Cassin. 

Dklphinus  pectoralis,  Peale,  1.  c;  Cassin,  p.  28,  pi.  v,  fig.  2. 

Near  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Black  obove;  belly,  reddish  white;  a  frontal  band  of  slate  -  jor  extending  behind  the  eyes;  a 
white  spot  on  each  side  before  the  fins.     Length,  8  feet  8  inches.     Teeth,  ff.     No  specimens. 

Delphinus  chidensis,  Desmoul.,  Qray,  1850,  p.  132. 
China  Seas. 
"Shining  white;"  no  specimens;  perhaps  a  beluga. 

Delphinus  lunatus.  Lesson,  Voy.  Coq.,  pi.  ix,  fig.  4. 
Coast  of  Chile. 
"Tunenas"  of  the  Chilenos.     No  specimens.     From  sketch  of  animal  swimming  I 

Delphinus  nioer,  Lacepbde,  Mem.  Mus.  iv,  p.  475. 
China? 
Black,  with  white  edges  to  lips  and  fins.     No  specimens.     From  Chinese  drawing  I 

Delphinus  lorioer,  Schreb.  Saugeth.,  pi.  362. 
Habitat? 
Lead  colored;  middle  of  sides,  chest,  and  belly,  white.     No  specimens. 


296  APPENDIX. 

Delphinus  styx,  Graj-,  has  been  referred  with  doubt  to  Scnmmon's  "Common  Porpoise,"  and  the 
North  Pacific  habitat  thus  indicated  has  been  credited  to  D.  styx  by  Gray  in  his  last  supple- 
mentary catalogue,  but  there  are  no  good  grounds  for  considering  it  a  West  American  species, 
and  the  t^-pe  is  known  to  come  from  West  Africa. 

Genus  LeuCOrhamphus,  Lilljcborg. 
Leucorhamphua,  Lilljeborg,  Gill. 
Ddphinaj^ems,  Gray  (not  Lacepbde),  Zo'jl.  E.  and  T.,  1846,  p.  35;   1871,  p.  72. 

lieuoorhamphus  Peronll. 

IMphinus  Peronii,  Lacppfcde,  Get.,  p.  517,  1804. 

1).  leucorhamphus.  Brooks,  Cat.  Mus.,  p.  39,  1828. 

Ddplanaplerus  Peronii,  Gray  (Lesson),  1866,  p.   276;   1868,  p.  6,  pi.  15;  1871,  p.  72. 

West  coast  of  South  America,  latitude  50°  south  (Pickering). 

Black  above,  white  below;  the  dividing'  line  j^assing  from  the  middle  of  the  forehead  below 
the  eye,  above  the  pectorals,  and  stopping  at  the  flukes,  which  arc  black.  Skull,  18.25  inches; 
beak,  10  inches.     Teeth,  |J,  six  in  an  inch.     Skulls,  Mus.  Paris,  and  drawings  of  animal. 

LeuoorhamphuB  borealis.     PI.  xix,  fig.  3. 

Dvlphinaptenia  borealis,  Peale,  Zocil.  U.  S.  Ex.  Exp.,  p.  38,  1848;  Gray,  1866,  p.  277. 
Delphinus  borealis,  Cassin,  Mamm.  U.  S.  Ex.  Exp.,  p.  30,  pi.  vii,  fig.  2. 
lUght  Whale  Porpoise,  of  Scammon. 

West  coast  of  North  America. 

Form  elongate ;  black,  with  a  lanceolate  white  spot  beneath,  extended  in  a  narrow  line  nearly 
to  the  tail.  Length,  4  to  6  feet.  Teeth  (?).  Skull,  Mus.  S.  I.  Notes  and  measurements  from 
life. 

A  specimen  of  this  species  was  obtained  by  me  oflf  Cape  Mendocino,  October,  1868.  Careful 
notes,  a  sketch,  and  measurements  were  secured,  together  with  the  cranium,  now  in  the  National 
Museum.  On  comparison  with  Mr.  Peale's  original  drawing,  they  agreed  exactly,  except  that  my 
specimen  was  considerably  larger,  measuring  about  six  feet.  Unfortunately,  these  notes  are  not 
now  accessible.  Cassin  and  Gray  refer  to  it  as  being  probably  the  young  of  a  species  of  beluga; 
but  why  they  should  do  so,  I  can  not  imagine,  as  there  are  no  gi-ounds  apparent  for  such  a  belief. 
It  is  unquestionablj"  a  dolphin. 

Genus  OrCft,  Gray. 
Orca,  Gray,  Zool.  E.  and  T.,  1846,  p.  33;   1866,  p.  278. 
Ophysia,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1870,  p.  76;    1871,  p.  93. 

Oroa  magellanloa. 

O.  magellanica,  Burmeister,  An.  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ser.  3,  xviii,  p.  101,  pi.  9,  fig.  5;  Annals 
Mus.  Buenos  Ayres,  i,  p.  373,  pi.  22. 

Patagonia. 

Skeleton,  Mus.  Buenos  Ayres. 

Oroa  destructor. 

O.  deslruclor,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1866,  p.  293. 

Payta,  Peru. 

Teeth,  J.     Skull  only,  S.  I. 


CATALOGUE    OF    TUE    CETACEA.  297 

Oroa  rectipinna.     Fl.  xvii,  iig.  1. 

0.  rvdipinna.  Cope,  Proe.  Phil.  Acad.  18G9,  p.   25;   Scammou,  1.  c,  p.  56,  fig.  15,  IG. 

North  Pacific,  coast  of  California,  Bering  Sea. 

Black,  with  high,  erect  dorsal.  Skull?  coll.  Scammou.  Skull,  coll.  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.  Estab- 
lished on  Scammon's  iigures  ami  descriptions. 

The  first  skull  referred  to  is  supi)osed  to  be  that  of  0.  n-clipiuna,  but  this  is  not  absolutely 
certain.  The  most  notable  peculiarities  are  the  turning  up  and  in  of  the  posterior  emi.;  of  the 
maxillaries,  by  the  side  of  the  nasals,  and  to  some  extent  over  the  posterior  ends  o*  ihe  premaxil- 
laries.  The  transverse  frontal  ridge  is  very  high  and  thin,  the  back  of  the  skull  lehind  it  quite 
flat;  in  the  temporal  fossa,  in  the  line  of  union  of  the  squamosals  and  parietals,  and  extending 
some  distance  each  side  of  the  suture,  is  a  ridge,  or  blunt  carina,  nearly  as  long  as  the  fossa. 
The  measurements  of  the  cranium  are  as  follow,  in  inches  and  decimals.  The  individual  was 
doubtless  rather  aged  : 

Length  of  skull  in  a  straight  line 39  .00 

Length  of  brain  cavity,  internally 11  .00 

Length  of  beak  before  the  maxillary  notches 21  .00 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  anterior  margin  of  superior  nares 24  .50 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  notch  of  palate 25  .00 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  posterior  edge  of  last  tooth 17  .00 

Length  from  tip  of  beak  to  frontal  ridge 32  .50 

Height  of  skull  at  vertex IG  .50 

Greatest  breadth  ( at  zygomatic  i)rocess  of  squamosals) 25  .00 

Breadth  of  supra-orbital  ridge 23  .00 

Breadth  between  maxillary  notches 11  .50 

Breadth  at  middle  of  beak 10  .50 

Breadth  of  the  two  premaxillie  at  middle  of  beak 1  .I'O 

Breadth  of  the  fissure  between  them 0  .75 

Breadth  of  condyles 7  .50 

Closest  approximation  of  condyles  beneath  the  foramen  magnum 0  .10 

Height  of  foramen  magnum  (notched  above) 3  .25 

Width  of  foramen  magnum 2  .75 

Teeth  in  upper  jaw,  12  or  13  (lost.) 

Oroa  ater.     PI.  xvii,  fig.  2. 

O.  aliT,  Cope,  1.  c,  p.  23;   Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  58,  fig.  17. 
0.  alra,  Gray,  1871,  p.  02. 

Coast  of  California  and  Oregon. 

Smaller,  with  a  white  spot  before  the  pectorals ;  white  below,  with  a  maroon  colored,  crescentic 
spot  behind  the  dorsal.      Established  on  Scammon's  desciiptious  and  figures. 

A  jaw,  supposed,  with  some  probability,  to  belong  to  this  species,  is  in  Captain  Scammon's 
possession  It  is  of  an  adult  individual,  but  retains  all  the  teeth,  and  measures  as  follows,  in 
inches  and  decimals : 

Length  of  ramus 28  ,00 

Tip  to  posterior  edge  of  last  tooth 13  .00 

Length  of  symphysis G  .25 

Height  of  ramus  at  coronoid  process 8  .50 

Width  between  outsides  of  articular  surfaces 21  .00 

Width  behit  '  posterior  teeth 10  .00 

Length  from     p  to  anterior  notch  of  dental  foramen 17  .00'? 

Height  of  lar   eat  teeth  above  alveoli 1  .30 

Mabine  MuiiiAU.— as. 


298  APPENDIX. 

Greatest  diameter  of  the  same  ( transverse) 1  .00 

Antero- posterior  diameter  of  same 0  .70 

Height  of  jaw  at  gonj's 3  .00 

Height  of  jaw  at  posterior  tooth 4  .00 

Length  to  coronoid  process  from  tip 25  .50 

Width  at  posterior  end  of  symphysis 7  .50 

Thickness  of  ramus  at  seventh  pair  of  teeth  from  tip 2  .50 

Number  of  teeth  on  each  side,  12. 

Orca  ater,  var.  fUsoa.     PI.  xvii,  fig.  3. 

A  variety  (?)  of  the  above,  with  a  lower  falcate  dorsal,  with  the  belly,  spots,  and  crescent  of 
a  yellowish  cream  color,  instead  of  white  and  maroon,  reported  by  Scammon  from  similar  localities, 
may  take  the  above  varietal  name  until  more  material  in  regard  to  it  is  obtained.  An  Orcn,  under 
the  name  of  Ddphinus  orca,  is  reported  by  Chamisso  from  the  North  Pacific  and  Komchatka ;  very 
likelj'  one  of  the  above  raeutioued  fonus. 

Oroa  paoifioa. 

O.  capensin,  Gray,  18C8,  p.  8,  pi.  9. 

Opinjsia  pacifica,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1870,  p.  76;   1871,  p.  93. 

Skull  only,  B.  M.  Reported  by  Gray  to  be  probably  from  tlie  South  Pacific  or  Chile,  but 
originally  stated  to  be  from  the  North  Pacific.  I  can  see  no  grounds  for  separating  this  from 
Orca,  even  subgenericuHy. 


Genus  PhOC8BIia,  Gray. 
Phoccemi,  G/ay,   18GG,  p.  301;    1871,  p.  81. 


Phocsna  vomerina.     PI.  xviii,  fig.  2-4. 

r.  vomerina.   Gill,   Proc.    Phil.  Acad.    18G5,  p.   178;   Cope,  1.   c.,   18G9,  p.   24;   Scammon, 

1.  c.,  p.  54. 
Hay  Porpoise,  of  Scammon. 

San  Francisco,  California. 

Full  material,  skulls  and  skeleton,  Mus.  S.  I.  Figures  and  photographs  from  nature,  and 
measurements.  Eight  blunt  spines  were  noticed  by  me  on  tlio  dorsal  of  a  specimen  of  this  species 
oljtaincd  in  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  Februaiy  8th,  1873.  A  dark  line  extended  from  the 
corner  of  the  mouth  to  the  pectorals.  The  belly  was  white,  shading  gradually  into  dark  slate 
color  on  the  back.  The  teeth  in  this  species  vary  considerably  in  their  shape,  in  some  specimens 
being  spade  shaped,  in  others  nearly  tricuspid,  p'ld  in  still  others  truncated  squarely. 


Ootiiis  Sagmatias,  Cope. 

Sagmat'uts,  Cope,  Proc.  IMiil.  Aciul.  1866,  p.  201. 

Sagmatias  amblodon. 

S.  amhhxlm,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  18GC,  p.  294. 

South  Pacific?     U.  S.  Ex.  Exp. 

No  triangle.     Teeth  "jiumerous,"  rounded,  obtuse,  stout.     Skull,  15.25  inches.     End  of  beak 
to  notch,  7.()  inches.     Width  at  notch,  3.7!)  inches.     Allied  to  Fhoc:.  m.     Skull  only,  S.  I. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CEIACEA.  299 

Genus  NeomeriS,  Gray. 
Neomeris,  Gray,  1866,  p.  306  ;   1871,  p.  81. 

Neomeris  phooaenoides. 

N.  phucmnoLles,  Gray,  18G6,  p.  306;  1868,  p.  6;  1871,  p.  82. 
Delphinapterus  molagan,  Owen. 

Japan.     Reported  also  from  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Black;  no  dorsal  fin.     Teeth,  fj.     Full  material,  Japan,  figured  in  Fauna  Japonica.     Skull, 
Mus.  Leyden. 

Subfamily  GLOsiocEPiiAim.^,  Gill,  p.  96. 

Genus  GlobiOCephaluS,  Gray. 
GloUocephulus,  Gray,  1850,  p.  86.      (Lesson.) 


Globiocephalus  Sieboldii.  ,' 

G.  Sieboldii,  Gray,  18G6,  p.  323;  1871,  p.  85.  | 

G.  sibo?   Gray,  1871,  p.   85.     (From  Japanese  account!)  I 

G.  chinenais?  Gray,  186G,  p.  323;   1871,  p.  85.     (From  anonymous  description  in  Chinese  | 

Repository.)  | 

Japan.  ^ 

Black,  with  a  paler  streak  beneath.     Figure  of  animal  and  skull  in  Fauna  Japonica.  Skeleton 
{ubif).     The  synonyms  above  quoted  appear  to  have  been  established  on  veiy  insufiicient  evidence, 

and  without  specimens.  i 

Globiocephalus  Soammoni.     PI.  xv,  fig.  1-3.  ; 

G.  Scammoni,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1869,  p.  22;  Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  59,  fig.  15,  16.                                               j 

Blackifish,  of  Scammon.  ' 

Lower  Oalifornir..  i 

Entirely  black.     Teeth,   V  to  }g.     Fifteen  feet  long.     Skull,  etc.,  in  Mus.  S.  I.  | 


Genus  GrampUS,  Gray. 
Gmmj)us,  Gray,  1808,  p.  9;   1871,  p.  82. 

Orampus?  sakamata, 

0.  aakamala,  Gray,  186G,  p.  301. 

Japan. 

Genus  uncertain.  The  species,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  said  to  be  black,  with  white  spots  on 
the  belly,  back,  and  sides.  Described  from  a  Japanese  account,  and  figure  published  by  Sehlegel, 
Fauna  Japonica,  p.  25.      No  specimens  or  reliable  figures. 

Grampus  Steamsii.     Outline  figure,  p.  102. 

G.  StcarnKii,  Dall,  Prel.  Dcscr.  Proc.  Cal.  Acad,  v,  January,  1873. 

Wlakheaded  or  Mottled  Orampi(»,  of  Scammon. 
Two  lower  jaws,  evidently  belonging  to  an  animal  of  this  genus,  are  in  my  hands  for  examin- 
ation.    As  no  Orampus  appears  to  have  been  described  from  the  Pacific,  I  feel  warranted,  though 


300  APPENDIX. 

with  some  hesitation,  in  applying  a  specific  name  to  the  animal  described  by  Captain  Scammon. 
The  following  are  the  measurements,  in  inches  and  decimals : 

No.  1.  No.  J. 

From  end  of  beak  to  condyles 17  .50  17  .50 

From  end  of  beak  to  posterior  end  of  coronoid  process 16  .40  16  .20 

From  end  of  beak  to  posterior  end  of  alveoli 9  .00          9  .50 

From  end  of  beak  to  anterior  end  of  dental  foramen 9  .75  10  .00 

Height  at  coronoid  process  of  ramus 5  .00          4  .GO 

Height  at  inferior  dental  foramen 3  .50          3  .00 

Height  at  posterior  end  of  symphysis 1  .45          1  .30 

Height  of  gonys '.....' 2  .00          1  .90? 

Length  of  symphysis 2  .00          2  .75 

Width  behind  posterior  teeth 3  .00          2  .90 

Width  at  inferior  dental  foramen 7  .00          7  .20 

Width  at  coronoid  process 10  .30  10  .00 

Width  at  inner  corners  of  condyles 11  .20  11  .00 

Width  at  outer  comers  of  condyles 14  .00  14  .00? 

Thickness  of  ramus  behind  posterior  tooth 0  .90          1  .00 

The  ramus  is  quite  thin  and  light  behind ;  the  inferior  dental  foramen  is  large ;  the  coronoid 
process  almost  evanescent.  The  alveoli  are  entirely  filled  with  spongy  bone  behind  the  posterior 
end  of  the  symphysis.  The  posterior  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  rami  at  the  symphysis 
is  rather  broadly  rounded.  The  end  of  the  beak  is  moderately  pointed.  The  gonys  is  very  short, 
and  produced  in  a  rather  sharp  point  below.  No.  1  has  three  teeth  on  each  .side ;  No.  2,  four. 
They  are  inclined  forward  and  outward;  most  of  them  are  broken  off  or  truncated.  The  teeth  are 
much  the  shape  of  an  orange -seed:  solid,  and  without  any  cavity  in  their  proximal  ends.  ^he 
crown,  or  portion  covered  with  enamel  (which,  from  the  disc  ''oration,  seems  to  bo  the  only  po.  don 
projecting  above  the  giims),  is  slightly,  but  distinctly,  differentiated  from  the  rest  of  the  tooth,  of 
which  less  than  one -half  is  inclosed  in  the  alveolus.  The  crown  is  attenuated,  slightly  recurved, 
and  sharply  pointed,  which  may  account  for  the  ease  with  which  it  becomes  truncated.  The 
remainder  of  the  tooth  is  irregularly  subcylindrical,  transversely  compressed,  and  pinched  off  at 
the  bottom.  The  dimensions  are  as  follow :  Length  of  crown,  0.52  inch ;  of  whole  tooth,  1.43 
inch.  Diameter  at  base  of  crown,  0.37  inch ;  transverse  diameter  of  root,  0.5  inch ;  greatest 
diameter  of  ditto,  0.6  inch.  Length  of  the  tooth  line  in  No.  1,  :\25  inches;  in  No.  2,  2.5  inches. 
Animal,  12  to  15  feet.  The  specimens  were  obtained  at  Monterey,  California,  by  Captain  Scam- 
mon. 


Supcrfaniily  PIIYSETEROIDEA,  Gill,  p.  96. 

Family  Physeterii>.f,,  Gill,  p.  96. 

Subfamily  Physeterin.ic,  Gill.  p.  96. 

Genus  Physeter,  Linn. 

Physeter,  Linn.,  S.  N.  i,  p.  106  ;   Gill,  p.  90. 
Catodon,  Gray,  1866,  p.  196;   1871,  p.  58. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  301 

Physeter  maorooepba.^us.     PI.  xiv,  xv. 

P.  macrocephalus,  Linn.,  S.  N.  i,  107. 
Catodon  macrocephalus.  Gray,  1871,  p.  58. 
Calodon  Colneli,  Gray,  1866,  p.  209. 
Sperm  Whale,  of  authors. 

Ubiquitous  in  the  warmer  seas.  ! 

A  lower  jaw,  probably  of  a  young  animal,  Mus.  Cal.  Acad.,  has  22  teeth  on  each  side,  for  the  |( 

most  part  sharply  pointed.  ! 


Subfamily  Koaim^,  Uill,  p.  96. 

Genus  Kog^a,  Gray. 

Kogia,  Gray,  ':ool.  E.  and  T.,  p.  22,  1846. 
Euphjsetes,  V^aW,  Hist.  New  Sperm  Whale,  pp.  50,  f3,  1851. 
Kogia  Flo-weri. 

K.  Floweri,  Gill,  Am.  Nat.  iv,  p.  738,  fig.  167,  172,  1871. 

Mazatlau. 

Black  above,  yellowish  white  below,  including  the  end  of  the  snout.  Nine  feet  long.  Teeth 
long,  slender,  recurved,  ^j.  Dorsal  very  low.  Snout  pointed  and  projecting  beyond  and  above 
the  mouth.     Jaw  and  drawing  from  nature  in  Mus.  S.  I. 

Suborder  Mysticete. 

Family  BAL^NOPTEKiD.f!,  Gill,  p.  97. 
Subfamily  AoapueliNjE,  Gill,  p.  97. 

Genus  Rhachianectes,  Cope. 

Hhachianedes,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  18C9,  pp.  14,  15. 

Rhaohianeotes  glauous.     PI.  ii,  fig.  1;   pi.  iii,  fig.  1,  2;  pi.  v;  baleen,  p.  55. 
li.  glaucuK,  Cope,  1.  c,  p.  17;   Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  40,  fig.  8. 
Jgaphdu»  glauciin,  Cope,  1.  c,  1868,  p.  225. 
California  Gray  Whale,  of  Scammon. 

Arctic  Sons  to  Lower  California. 

This  species  was  originally  described  from  specimens  and  notes  obtained  by  me  at  Monterey, 
California,  in  January,  1860,  and  now  in  the  Mus.  S.  I.  A  peculiar  barnacle,  Cryptolcpas  rliachi- 
anecli,  Dall  (pi.  x,  fig.  6),  and  the  Cyaimts  ScammoiU,  Dall,  (pi.  x,  fig.  1),  appear  to  be  restricted 
to  this  species.  They  are  described  in  the  Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.  1872,  vol.  iv,  pp.  281,  300.  A 
skull  collected  by  me  at  Monterey,  California,  is  now  in  the  collection  of  the  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.,  and 
another  in  Mus.  S.  I. 

Subfamily  MEOArTEiiiNAs,  Gill,  p.  97. 

Genus  Megaptera,  Gray. 
Megaptera,  Gray,  An.  Mag.  N.  U.  18G4,  pp.  207,  350;   1866,  p.  117. 


302  APPENDIX. 

Megaptera  versabills.     PI.  vii,  fig.  1;  pi.  viii,  ix;  outline  figure,  pp.  47,  48;  baleen,  p.  55. 

SI.  vermbilin,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.   18G9,  p.  17;   Scammon,  do.,  i).  50,  fig.  5,  6;   Graj-, 

1871,  p.  51. 
North  Pacijic  Humpback    of  Scammon. 

Arctic  Seas  to  Lower  California. 

Established  on  Scammon's  measurements  and  descriptions.  Vertebra),  ribs,  and  humerus  in 
Mus.  Cal.  Academy.  Baleen,  Mus.  S.  I.  Parasitic  on  this  species  are  the  Coromda  diadema  and 
balcenaris,  Lam.,  Olion  Slimjisinii,  Dall,  and  Ci/amus  miffusus,  Dall  (pi.  x,  fig.  3,  5),  described  in 
Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.  1872,  vol.  iv,  pp.  282,  301. 

Megaptera  kuzira? 

3f.  kuiira,  Gray,  18GG,  p.  130;  1871,  p.  50. 

Japan. 

Ten  gular  folds.  Belly,  gray  or  white ;  back,  black.  Described  from  Japanese  accounts  and 
drawings.  No  specimens.  A  skull  from  Java,  reported  to  be  of  this  species,  is  said  to  be  in  the 
Leyden  Museum ;   but,  from  the  habitat,  the  identity  seems  doubtful. 


Subfamily  Jjal.exopterix^,  Gill,  97. 

Genus  Sibbaldius,  Gray. 

Sibhuldus,  Gray,  V.  Z.  S.  1804,  p.  223. 

Sibbalduts,  Flower,  P.  Z.  S.  1804,  p.  392;   Gray,  186G,  p.  169. 

Floicerhts,  Lilljeborg,  Nov.  Act.  Upsala,  vi,  1867. 

Sibbaldius  sulAireus.     PI.  xii,  fig.  1 ;   baleen,  p.  55. 

S.  aul/ureus,  Cope,   Proc.   Phil.  Acad.  1809,  p.  20;  Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  51,  fig.  11;  Cope, 

Proc.  Am.  Phil.  Soc.  1870,  p.  108. 
SulphurbuWnn ,  of  Scammon. 

Coast  of  California. 

Brown  above,  sulphur  yellow  bemath.  Described  from  baleen  (Mus.  S.  I.),  and  Scammon ■ 
de8crii)tions  and  figures. 

Sibbaldius  Irctironlrin,  Cope,  is  an  Atlantic  species,  but  is  erx'oneously  credited  to  the  Pacific  by 
Gray,  1871,  p.  50. 


Genus  PhysaluS,  Gray. 
Pbjsalus,  Lac(5pede,  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1847,  p.  88;   1806,  p.  139;   1871,  p.  52. 

PhyscduB?  Tsohudll. 

llalaenoplera  Tiichudi,  Reich,  Cet.,  p.  33. 

/'.  fancialuti,  Gray,  1850,  p.  42;  18G{i,  p.  1G2. 

Coast  of  Peru. 

"  Head  and  bock,  brown ;  belly,  whitish ;  tips  of  fins,  and  a  streak  from  t!ie  eye  to  the  middle 
of  the  body,  whiti'.  Length,  38  feet."  Described  from  the  preceding  notis  of  Tsohudi  I  No 
Bi)ecimons. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    GET  ACE  A.  308 

Physalus?  Iwasi. 

r.  Iivan,  Gray,  1850,  p.  42;  186C,  p.  1G3. 

Balcenoptera  arclica,  Schlegel,  Faun.  Jap.  Mamm.  2G,  pi.  30. 

Japan. 

Biack ;  sides,  white  spotted ;  belly,  white.  Length,  25  feet.  Described  from  Japanese  accounts 
and  drawings.     No  specimens. 

To  the  above  senseless  additions  to  the  catalogues  may  be  added  the  following  names,  applied 
to  Chinese  drawings,  Japanese  clay  models,  Aleutian  \>ooden  carvings,  and  similar  trash,  by  authors 
of  scientific  reputation  : 

lialwnoptera  punclidata,  B.  nigra,  B.  cccruh'scens,  B.  niaculala,  Balcena  lumdata,  and  B.  Japonica, 
Lacepcde,  Mem.  du  Mus.,  iv,  p.  473;   from  Chinese  drawings. 

Balcena  agamachschih  (!),  U.  kuUomok;  Aleutian  Islands,  and  B.  IxcMckaghik,  Kamchatka,  Cham. 
Nov.  Act.  Curs.  251),  Pallas,  Zoiil    Ross,  Asiat.  i,  280.      These  are  from  Aleutian  models  in  wood.    . 
They  should  be  entirely  expunged;  but  the  B.  kuUomok,  or  cullamcwh,  has  obtained  to  some  extent 
an  entrance  into  scientific  literature,  vide  Bakena  SicbohUi. 

Balcena  austmlis,  Temm.  Faun.  Jap.,  pi.  28-29.  Japan.  Described  from  clay  model.  No 
specimens. 

Genus  Balsenoptera,  Gray. 

Bukmoptera,  Gray,  1806,  pp.  114,  180  ;  1808,  p.  3  ;   1871,  p.  50. 

Balaenopteia  velifera.     PI.  ii,  fig.  2. 

;;.  velifera,  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  18C0,  p.  18;   Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  53,  fig.  9,  10. 
Finback,  of  Scammon ;   Oregon  Finner. 

Oregon  and  California. 

Brownish  black;  belly,  white.  Described  from  baleen  and  Scammon's  descriptions.  Baleen, 
Mus.  S.  I. 

Balaenoptera  velifera,  var.  borealls.     Outline  figure,  p.  37. 

Northern  Seas  and  Aleutian  Islands. 

The  form  found  in  the  more  northern  waters  is  distiuguisher.  according  to  Captain  Scammon, 
by  a  larger  and  higher  dorsal  fin.  I  observed  many  of  them,  during  tlio  summer  of  1872,  in  the 
Shumagin  Islands.  In  some  individuals  the  fiukcs  were  black;  in  others,  white  below;  and  in  a 
few  the  white  extended  above  over  the  external  points  of  the  fiukes.  Tliose  of  Oregon  appear  to 
have  a  dorsal  intermediate  hi  size  between  the  northern  and  the  small -finned  southern  forms. 

Balaenoptera  Davidsonl.     PI.  vii,  fig.  2. 

B.  I>((viit.<nni,  ;■' 'amnion,  Proc.  Cal,  Acad.  Sci.  iv.,  p.   209.     (Printed  in  advance,  October 
4th,  1872.) 

Admiralty  Inlet  and  Straits  of  Fuca. 

Small,  closely  resembling  the  ]l.  roKlrala  of  the  North  Atlantic.  Described  from  measurements 
and  drawings  taken  from  the  ani.ual  l)y  Captain  Scammon.     Skull  in  Mus.  S.  I. 

A  skull  and  jaws  of  a  small  llahrwiplera  of  unknown  locality,  presented  by  Jlr.  Merrill,  an;  in 
the  Mus.  Cal.  Acad.  It  evidently  was  an  adolescent  individual,  but  a  number  of  facts  tend  to 
confirm  the  opinion  that  it  is  of  this  species.  The  cx-occipitals  are  wanting,  having  been  removed, 
probably  to  dean  out  the  brain  cavity.  The  supra -occipital  is  ([uadrate.  The  two  anterior  sides 
measure  along  the  suture  ten  and  a  half  inches  ;  the  posterior  sides,  six  and  a  half  inches ;  the 
anterior  angle  is  bluntly  rounded.  Above,  in  front,  the  bone  is  very  slightly  impressed  ;  behind, 
slightly  convex;  but,  on  the  whole,  is  flattened.  There  is  no  median  ridge  or  groove.  The  prin- 
cipal feature  of  the  upper  aspect  of  the  skull  is  the  wide  narial  opening ;  the  very  narrow  prema.\illu; 


304  APPENDIX. 

are  rounded  and  elevated  above  the  flattened  niaxillaries,  bend  boldly  out  from  the  nasals,  approx- 
imating only  in  the  anterior  third  of  the  beak,  then  continuing  parallel,  become  flatter  and  wider, 
and  extend  slightly  beyond  the  maxillif. 

The  posterior  angles  of  the  maxillic  are  spatulate,  the  vomer  is  hidden  by  the  mesethmoid 
cartilage.  Below,  the  vomer  appears  as  a  thin  flat  plate  an  inch  wide,  extending  to  the  aiAterior 
fourth  of  the  beak.  The  palatines  are  broad,  with  the  anterior  loteral  angles  obliquely  tnmcate ; 
they  have,  on  the  whole,  an  abbreviated  "dice-box"  shape.  Their  greatest  length  is  9.5  inches; 
width  at  the  anterior  and  posterior  ends  across  the  two,  lu  inches.  Their  least  width  in  the 
middle,  8  inches. 

The  length  from  the  tip  of  the  beak  to  the  median  notch  of  the  inferior  nares  is  thirty -eight 
inches ;  from  the  bottom  of  the  notch  to  the  posterior  recurved  process  of  the  alispheuoid,  four 
inches;  to  anterior  basi- occipital  suture,  five  inches — the  middle  of  the  otic  bullfe  being  in  the 
same  transverse  line.  The  anterior  ends  of  the  buUaj  are  an  inch  from  the  recurved  process  of 
the  alisphenoid. 

The  buUre  are  very  regularly  ovoid,  and  smooth  below;  the  lateral  external  edges  have  two 
deep  grooves  separating  three  bulbous  jirominences.  They  were  so  attached  by  dried  membranes 
to  the  cranium  that  a  fuller  examination  was  impracticable.  Th.e  width  of  the  inferior  surface  of 
the  maxilliE,  in  the  middle  of  the  beak,  is  G.5  inches.  The  height  of  the  narial  septum,  behind, 
is  1.5  inch.  Depth  of  brain  cavity,  8  inches;  height  of  orbit,  4.5  inches.  The  condyles  of  the 
lower  jaw  are  large  and  thick;  the  rami  are  stout  in  proportion  to  their  length.  There  is  no 
angular  process ;  the  coronoid  process  is  shaii)  and  high ;  the  dental  foramen  large,  just  before 
the  condyle.      The  inferior  groove  between  the  occipital  condyles  is  almost  evanescent. 

Dimensions  of  cranium,  in  inches  and  decimals: 

Length  of  skull  in  a  straight  line 48  .00 

Breadth  of  condyles 4  .50? 

Breadth  of  ex-occipitals  (to  outer  edge  of  suture) 17  .00 

Breadth  of  squamosals 27  .00 

Height  of  foramen  magnum 2  .00 

Length  of  supra -occipital 13  .00 

Length  of  articular  process  of  scmamosal  antero -posterior 8  .00 

Length  of  orl>ital  process  of  frontal,  right  to  left 10  .00 

Breadth  of  orbital  from  curved  border  o*  maxillary  to  hinder  edge  of  orbital 

process  of  frontal 9  .CO 

Breadth  of  orbital  at  upper  surface  of  outer  end fi  .50 

Nasals,  length 4  .50 

Nasals,  breadth  of  the  two  at  posterior  end 1  .00 

Nasals,  breadth  of  the  two  at  anterior  end 2  .50 

Length  from  curved  border  of  maxillary  to  tip  of  beak 30  .00 

Length  of  maxillaiy 33  .00 

Projection  of  prenuixillary  beyond  maxillary 1  .50 

Breadth  of  maxillaincs  at  hinder  end G  .00 

Breadth  of  maxillarics  across  orbital  processes 12  .50 

Breadth  of  beak  at  base  * 10  .50 

Breadth  of  beak  at  one -quarter  its  length  from  base 12  .00 

V:'    idth  of  maxillary  at  one-quarter  its  length  from  base 2  .50 

\y  .  (dth  of  premaxillary  at  same  point 1  .00 

jj    M(th  of  beak  at  middle 9  .00 

\i:;  I  th  of  maxillary  at  middle 2  .50 

Breadth  of  premaxillary  at  middle 1  .50 

*  AH  mccBurementB  ucrofli  bcik  iucludo  the  curve  of  tho  lupcrior  Burface. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  305 

Breadth  of  beak  at  three-quarters  its  length  from  base 6  .00 

Breadth  of  maxillarj-  at  three-quarters  its  length  from  base 1  .50 

Breadth  of  premaxillarj'  at  three-quarters  its  length  from  base 1.25                                                        | 

Length  of  lower  jaw  in  a  straight  line 47  .00 

Height  at  coronoid  process 6  .00 

Length  from  posterior  end  of  condyle  to  coronoid  process 7  .50 

Height  of  ramus  at  middle 4  .00                                                     ■ 

Amount  of  curve 6.50                                                        f 

Length  of  otic  bulla) 3  .50                                                        ' 

The  thinner  edges  being  covered  with  dry  membranes,  have  been  somewhat  gnawed  by  vermin.  i 

Family  Bal^enid^,  Gill,  p.  98. 

Genus  BalSBIia,  Gray. 
Balcem,  Gray,  18G6,  p.  78. 
Euhakena,  Gray,  180G,  p.  78. 

Balsena  Sieboldii.     PI.  xii,  fig.  1.     Baleen,  p.  55. 

Eubakena  SiebuldU,  var.  Japonica,  Gray,  18GG,  p.  97  ;   1871,  p.  43. 

Balcena  cullamach?  Cham.,   Cope,  Proc.   Phil.  Acad.   18G9,  p.  15;  Scammon,  1.   c,  p.  38, 

fig.  4. 
Pacific  Right  Whale,  of  Scammon. 

Arctic,  Bering,  and  Ochotsk  Seas.      Lower  California.      Japan? 

The  Eubalcena  Sieboldii  was  founded  on  a  drawing  of  a  Japanese  clay  model,  named  B.  australii^ 
in  the  Fauna  Japonica;  and  the  supposed  variety  Japonica,  from  baleen  from  the  North-west  Coast. 
The  description  properly  rests  upon  this  baleen,  as  the  former  basis  is  utterly  insufficient  for  the 
introduction  of  a  specific  name  into  a  scientific  system.  The  figure  of  the  baleen  agrees  with  the 
baleen  of  the  Right  Whale  of  Scammon,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  they  belong  to  the  same 
species.  The  name  Jajyonica  had  previously  been  used  by  Lacepede,  and  is,  to  some  extent,  a 
misnomer,  so  I  have  preferred  to  retain  the  original  name  of  Gray.  This  species  is  doubtfully 
referred  to  the  B.  cullamach  of  Chamisso,  by  Cope;  but  it  does  not,  as  he  observes,  possess  the 
recurved  rictus  attributed  to  that  species,  which  itself  rests  upon  no  scientific  foundation,  and 
hence  I  have  preferred  to  use  a  name  for  which  there  is  some  slight  basis  in  the  shape  of  speci- 
mens by  which  the  species  may  be  hereafter  satisfactorily  identified.  It  reaches  the  length  of  sixty 
feet,  is  dark  colored  above  and  lighter  below.      Baleen  in  B.  M.  and  Mus.  S.  I. 

Cyamus  lentator,  Dall,  and  C.  gracilis,  Dall,  are  parasitic  upon  this  species, 

Baleena  mystioetus.*     PI.  xi,  fig.  1;  baleen,  p.  55. 

B.    miixlicetus,   Linn.,   S.   N.   i,   105;  Gray,   18GG,   p.   81;   1868,  p.   1,  pi.   1,  f.  4  (baleen); 

1871,  p.  38;   Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1869,  p.  15;   Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  33. 
Bowhead,  of  Scammon. 

Bering,  Ochotsk,  and  Arctic  Seas. 

The  C'yamua  mysticeti,  Dall,  pi.  x,  fig.  2,  is  parasitic  on  this  species. 

?  Variety  Roysii.      Page  56,  outline  figure. 

Roys'  Bunchback,  of  Scammon,  1.  c,  p.  35. 

Ochotsk  Sea. 

No  special  diflferences   appear  to  separate  the  Bowlieads  of  these   regions  from  those  of  the 

*Bm  lllaitntton  of  •kelelon  kt  the  conclniton  of  thli  Citalogue.— 0.  H.  8. 
Mabire  HAiniia.a,-l9. 


306 


APPENDIX. 


North  Seas  of  Europe.  Tlie  differences  which  distinguish  the  rariety  from  the  common  form, 
according  to  Captain  Scammon,  are  as  follow:  The  spout- holos  are  said  to  be  higher,  and  a 
bunch,  or  hump,  rises  from  the  "small"  of  the  back,  about  six  feet  forward  of  the  flukes,  extend- 
ing along  the  back  two  or  three  feet,  and  rising  above  it  about  six  inches.  They  are  also  said  to 
yield  a  larger  proportion  of  baleen  to  the  oil  than  the  others.  They  have  been  frequently  taken 
in  the  north-east  gulf  of  the  Ochotsk  Sea.  Before  the  variety  can  be  confirmed,  a  more  thorough 
knowledge  of  it  is,  of  course,  indispensable.     Baleen  of  the  normal  form  in  B.  M.  and  Mus.  S.  I. 


Summary. 


Out  of  forty -four  species  which  appear  to  be  more  or  less  thoroughly  characterized,  ten  are  of 
unknown  habitat.  Leaving  these  out  (with  all  species  based  on  insufficient  material),  we  have  as 
the  approximate  distribution  of  the  known  Pacific  Cetacea  :  Japan,  five  species ;  northern  seas,  six 
species,  including  two  or  three  which  visit  California;  warm  seas  and  South  Pacific,  eleven  species; 
coast  of  western  North  America,  from  the  Aleutian  Islands  to  Central  America,  eighteen  species, 
including  several  visitors  from  the  i\jctic  Seas.      The  species  are  as  follow : 


JAPAN. 

Delpliinus  longirostris  ? 
Neomeris  phocreuoides. 
Globiocephalus  Sieboldii. 
Megaptera  kuzira. 
Baleena  Sieboldii? 


NORTHERN    SEAS. 

Delphinapterus  catodon. 
Orea  rectipinna. 
Rhachianectes  glaucus. 
Megaptera  versabilis. 
Balrenoptera  velifera  ? 
Baltcna  mysticetus. 


WABM    SEAS 

Clymenia  alope. 
C.  obscura. 
Tursiops  catalania. 
Cephalorhynchus  eutropia. 
Lagenorhynchus  clanculus. 


iND   SOUTH   PACIFIC. 

Lagenorhynchus  albirostratus. 
Leucorhamphus  Pcronii. 
Orca  magellauica. 
O.  destructor. 
O.  pacifica. 


Physeter  macrocephalus. 

The  absence  of  PhotHvna,  and  of  well-defined  species  of  the  Mynticeti,  from  the  warm  seas,  is 
veiy  marked,  as  is  the  paucity  of  Denliceti  in  the  northern  seas,  while  in  the  north  European  seas 
the  latter  are  well  represented. 


WEST    COAST    OF 

Delphinus  Bairdii. 
Tursiops  Gillii. 
Lagenorhynchus  thicolea. 
L.  obliquidens. 
Leucorhamphus  borealis. 
Orca  rectipinna. 
O.  ater. 

Phocrena  vomerina. 
Globiocephalus  Scammoni. 


NORTH    AMERICA. 

Grampus  Stearnsii. 
Kogia  riowcri. 
Physeter  macrocephalus. 
Rhachianectes  glaucus. 
Megaptera  vci-sabilis. 
Bahenoptera  velifera. 
B.  Davidsoni. 
Sibbaldius  sulfureus. 
Balnsna  Sieboldii. 


It  is  highly  probable  that  to  this  list  may  be  added  two  or  three  species  of  grampuses   and 
dolphins,  of  which  sufficient  material  has  not  yet  been  obtained  for  secure  identification. 


CATALOGUE    OF    THE    CETACEA.  307 

Tho  only  fossil  remains  of  whales  found  up  to  this  time  on  this  coast,  are  a  portion  of  a 
ramus  of  a  lower  jaw  (described  by  Cope,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  1872,  as  EschrwMius  Davidsoni), 
obtained  in  digging  a  well  at  San  Diego,  California,  and  presumed  to  be  of  miocene  age ;  a  caudal 
vertebra  obtained  by  me  in  the  miocene  sandstones  of  the  Shumagin  Islands,  Alaska;  and  some 
remains  of  cervical  vertcbraj  and  the  adjacent  portions  of  the  skull,  very  much  injured,  obtained 
from  the  Tertiary  sandstones,  near  Point  Conception,  California,  by  Mr.  George  Sceva;  these,  as 
far  as  their  characters  are  apparent,  resemble  Megaptem. 

The  following  Cetacea,  mentioned  by  Captain  Scammon,  are  not  at  the  date  of  this  paper 
represented  by  material  sufficient  to  indicate  their  zoological  position  : 

Grampus,  Panama.  Grampus,  San  Diego  Bay. 

Grampus,  Puget  Sound.  Scrag  Eight  Whale,  northern  seas. 

Grampus,  Bottlenosed. 

The  other  marine  mammals  mentioned,  are  the  Walrus  {Bosviarna  obesus,  Illiger);  the  Leopard 
Seal,  pi.  xxii,  fig.  1  {riioca  Pealiif  Gill);  the  Banded  Seal,  pi.  xxi,  fig.  2  { Histriophoca  eqiieslris, 
Gill);  the  Fur  Seal,  pi.  xxi,  fig.  1  (Gallorhinus  ursinus,  Gray);  the  Sea  Lion,  pi.  xx,  fig.  2  {Eiime- 
lopias  Slelleri,  Gill);  the  Sea  Elephant,  pi.  xx,  fig.  1  { iMacrorhimts  angustirostris,  Gill);  and  the 
Sea  Otter,  pi.  xxii,  fig.  2  {Enhgdra  marina,  Fleming).  It  is,  however,  quite  probable  that  under 
the  common  name  of  Leopard  Seal,  several  species  of  simUar  aspect  are  included  by  non-scientific 
observers. 

San  Franctsco,  California,  March,  1873. 

Note. -To  Mr.  Dall's  Catalogue  may  bo  added  the  Squareheaded  Grampus  and  Brownslded  Dolplilij  of  Santa  Barbara  Channel. -C.  M.  8. 


r 


308 


APPENDIX. 


D 
H 
(d 
U 

OH 

H 

CO 

S 

<; 
z 

(^  . 


0 
z 

0 
H 
U 

u 


a; 


«    «    « 


a 

"  .2 

•A  § 

?  o 

o  ■-< 

I  ^ 

CD  "^ 


1 


o 

^ 


tc 
a 


I  s 


id  -S 


^  a 


e 


3    ■< 


W        "3 
o'        .2 


X 


ts 


a 
o 
o 

03 
u 

To 
o 

l-H 

o 


-a  - 

;s  00    o 


C3 

.t3  n 


ova 


a 

o 

C3 


to 


»       fl        CS 

"a     9 


9 

to 


;3    f->     0)    rd 


o   R    ^ 

?         S 


oi 


to 

a 

a 


»         -r. 


I— H         w         >H 


-  1" 

to    O  t; 

-3  ^  -^ 

a     o  ?> 

S     ?0  ^^ 

3  09 

S    OS  -3 

"  -i 

-  ^  fl 

Ph  a  ^ 


C3 

a 


d 
o 


C8     ■"     ■  = 


'§i 


to 
g 


01 


ft  _ 


01 

0 

S 

O 

-4J 

sc" 

S3 

a 

X 

^ 

O 

"^ 

O 

« 

^ 

Qi 

1, 

0 

■*i 

M 

s 

(4 

3 


« 


c 

d 

3 

o 

"^ 

■e 

i^ 

n 

c3 

A 

t; 

id 

a: 

o 

3 

% 

o 

o 

a 

■c 

a 

S 

u 

rt 

&< 

B 

•i^ 

0 

cr' 

H) 

OQ 

I— 1 

2 

o 

a 


a  „ 

to  -5 


V     <u     o 
H    H   H 


H    EH 


-a 


'a 
.to 
'3 

to 

■? 
o 

% 


-5  ^    S  5  ^        -^ 


u    r^    ^ 


<u 

(t 

13 
V 


•3 

o 

t3 
c3 

a 

a 
o 


o 

-s 

o 

■§ 

o     S 

'^  § 

<v    o 
u     to 

C3 

a;  q> 

fl  I— t 

"  O 

a  - 

o    d 
f    2 

^  i 
fl  ^ 


"5  ^ 


^  ^*   a   ^  'M 


.d 


§1 


^  .-  'C  iJ 

0)  .  (U  OJ       V 

-3  -=  pd  ja     ■■ 

H  H  H  H 


t    Id 


^    **^,  -^    '^ 


:1 

I 


GLOSSARY 


OF 


WORDS   AND  rilR.VSES   USED   BY   WHALEMEN. 


Bailer.  — A  copper  or  iron  vessel  used  in  dip- 
ping up  oil.  Two  of  these  utensils  are  used 
on  board  of  a  whaler:  one  with  a  short, 
upright  handle,  called  the  hand-bailer;  the 
other,  with  a  staff  to  it  sis  feet  long,  used 
at  the  try -works  for  bailing  the  oil  from 
the  pots,'  is  called  a  long-handled  bailer. 
For  illustration,  see  fig.  4,  p.  239. 
Beoket.  — A  thing  used  in  ships  to  confine  loose 

ropes,  tackles,  or  spars. 
Black -skin.— The  rete-mucosum  and  the  cuti- 
cle, the  principal  seat  of  color  in  whales. 
Black -whale,  or  black -whale  oil.— Is  that 
produced   from    all   the   baleen   whales,   in- 
cluding the  rorquals.     All  these  varieties  of 
whales  are  sometimes  termed  black  whales, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  Sperm  Whale. 
Blanket -piece.  — A  strip  or  section  of  blubber 
cut  from  a  whale  in  a  spiral  direction,  and 
raised  by  means  of  the  cutting -tackle.      It 
varies    from    two    to    four   feet   or   more   in 
width,  and  is  in  length  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  feet. 
Blasted.— A  term  used  to  signify  that  a  whale 
is  much  swollen,  or  far  advanced  in  decom- 
position after  death. 
Blink,  or  ice -blink.— A  stratum  of  lucid  white- 
ness which  appears  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
atmosphere  over  ice  and  land  covered  with 
snow. 
Blow.— Blow  signifies  the  action  of  the  whale 

in  making  one  respiration. 
Blubber -fork.  — A  utensil  used  in  pitching  the 
minced  blubber  from  the  tubs  into  the  try- 
pots.     For  illustration,  see  fig.  1,  p.  239 


Blubber -hook. — A  stout  iron  hook  of  seventy- 
five  to  a  hundred  pounds  weight,  which  is 
used  in  flensing  a  whale.  See  illustration, 
p.  232. 

Boarding -knife.  — A  sharp  two-edged  instru- 
ment, principally  used  in  cutting  the  toggle- 
hole  in  the  blubber  of  a  whale,  for  the 
purpose  of  inserting  the  strap  to  the  cut- 
ting-tackle, so  as  to  hoist  up  the  mass  of 
fat  called  the  blanket -piece.  For  illustra- 
tion, see  pi.  XXV. 

Bolting.  —  Signifies  the  action  of  a  whale  when 

it  leaps  out  diagonally  to  the  sui-face  of  the 

water. 

Bone  -  spade.  —  A   cutting -spade,   with    a   thin, 

long   shank   to  it.      See   cutting- spade,   pi. 

XXV. 

Bonnet.— Cheever  defines  the  bonnet  of  a  Eight 
Whale  "as  being  the  crest  or  comb  where 
there  burrow  legions  of  barnacles  and  crabs, 
like  rabbits  in  a  warren,  or  insects  in  the 
shaggy  bark  of  an  old  tree."  [Note.— This 
description  applies  especially  to  the  south- 
ern Right  Whales;  in  the  northern  Right 
Wh.ale's  bonnet,  but  very  few  barnacles  are 
present,  and  comparatively  few  parasites  of 
any  description.] 

Bomb -shot,  — The  distance  a  bomb -lance  can 
be  fired  into  a  whale  effectively,  which  is 
about  twenty  yards. 

Breaching. — Signifies  the  movement  of  a  whale 
when  leaping  out  of  the  water,  in  nearly  a 
perpendicular  direction  or  otherwise. 

Breaking  black -skin.  — The  act  of  darting  a 
harpoon  into  a  whale. 


1309  1 


310 


APPENDIX. 


Bring-to.  — Tlio  net  of  a  -wlialc  ■when  it  ceases 
its  pio^'iesHivc  motion. 

Broken  voyage.  —  An  unproiitaMe  voyii<,'o,  or  n 
losinj,'  voviijfe. 

Case.  —  Tlie  sack  or  cavity  which  lies  on  the 
riyht  Hiilc  and  upper  portion  of  the  lieail 
of  a  Sperm  Whah",  anil  wliich  contains  oil 
anil  Kpcrniaceti.  These  conibineil  constitute 
what  is  called  "head -matter." 

Cooler.^ A  copper  or  iron  tank  into  -which  the 
oil  from  the  try -pots  is  lirst  bailed. 

Cutting -spade.  —  A  sharp,  tlat  implement,  like 
a  thin  chisel,  which  is  fixed  to  a  i)ole  ten 
or  more  feet  in  len<i;th,  and  is  used  in  cut- 
tini,'  the  blubber  from  a  whale.  A  "bone- 
spade"  is  merely  a  cutting-spade,  with  a 
long,  thin  shank  to  it.  It  is  employed  in 
cuttiny  out  the  throat -bone  of  a  baleen 
whale.  The  "heail-si)aile"  is  thicker  and 
heavier  than  the  ordinary  cutting -spade, 
and  is  used  in  cutting  the  skull -bone, 
which  separates  the  whale's  head  from  the 
body.      See  illustration,  pi.  xxv. 

Darting  distance.  —  The  distance  the  harpoon 
ia  usually  thrown  ell'ectively  by  hand,  which 
is  about  eighteen  feet. 

Deck-pot.  —  An  iron  pot  of  similar  shape  and 
size  with  the  try -pots,  but  liaving  legs  to  it. 

Fast.  —  A  term  used  when  the  harpoon  pene- 
trates the  whale,  "as  the  boat  is  fast," 
signifying  that  the  boat  is  fastened  to  the 
whale  by  means  of  the  haiiioon  attached  to 
the  line. 

Fins.  —  The  pectorals  or  side  fins  of  a  whale 
are  called  fins,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
flukes,  or  caudal  fin. 

Finning. —  The  action  of  a  whale  when  lying 
partly  on  it."  sido,  raising  one  fin  out  of 
the  water,  and  striking  it  upon  the  surface, 
causing  a  splash. 

Fire -pike. — An  instrument  used  in  feeding  and 
stirring  the  fires  when  trying  out  oil.  See 
illustration,  fig.   5,  p.   23i». 

Flukes.  —  The  posterior  extremities,  or  caudal 
fin  of  a  whale. 

Flukes,  to  cut  flukes  out,  or  the  vrhale  outs 
its  flukes  out. — Is  a  whaler's  phrase  to 
describe  the  action  of  the  animal  when  it 
thi'ows  its  caudal  fin  sidewise  and  upward, 
upon  or  above  the  siu'face  of  the  water, 
which  is  an  indication  that  the  creature  has 
taken    fright,    and    suddenly    endeavors    to 


escape.  "He  attempted  to  rut  his  flukes 
out,"  is  a  slang  expression  in  whaling  par- 
lance, when  any  mend)ers  of  a  ship's  com- 
l)any  become  refractory,  or  attempt  in  any 
manner  to  create  disturbance  on  board. 

GaflT,  or  gafT-hook. —  A  sharp,  strong  iron  hook 
attached  to  a  short  or  long  wooden  liandle, 
ami  used  in  handling  blubber.     See  pi.  xxv. 

Galley.  —  Frightened;  as,  "  Tlie  \  hale  is  gal- 
lied,"  or  "The  boat-steerer  got  so  gallied 
he  could  not  strike  the  whale."  Tha  state 
of  being  frightened. 

Gam.  —  Signifies  two  or  more  ships  meeting,  and 
their  companies  exchanging  visits.  Gam  also 
signifies  a  large  collection  or  herd  of  whale- 
})one  whales. 

Gamming. —  To  visit  from  one  whaling -vessel 
to  another. 

Gurry.  —  Is  the  term  by  which  the  combination 
of  water,  oil,  and  dirt  is  known  when  col- 
lected ujion  the  ship's  deck  and  below,  dur- 
ing the  time  of  cutting  in  and  boiling  out 
a  wliale. 

Head -spade.  —  A  thick,  heavy  cutting  -  spade 
used  in  cutting  the  head -bones  of  a  whale. 
See  head- spade,  pi.  xxv. 

Hopper,  or  scrap  -  hopper.  —  A  flaring  wooden 
])ox  used  as  a  rccei)tacle  for  the  scrajjs  when 
taken  from  the  try -pots. 

Hose -cock. — A  large  brass  cock  attached  to  the 
end  of  the  oil -hose. 

Hose -scuttle. — A  small  opening  in  a  whaling- 
vessel's  deck  through  which  the  oil  from  a 
cask  runs  into  the  hose -tub. 

Hose -tub. — A  large  wooden  tub,  or  copper 
tank,  with  a  strainer  in  the  bottom  to 
which  the  cl!-iiose  is  attached.  The  tub  is 
lashed  .-lose  u'.'ieath  the  deck,  immediately 
under  the  lioso -scuttle. 

Hump.  —  A  i''\iti'i)orance  or  elevation  upon  the 
top  of  a  whale's  body,  and  generally  near- 
est to  the  posterior  exti-emity.  In  some 
species  it  appears  somewhat  like  a  dorsal 
tin. 

Junk.  —  A  wedge-shaped  mass  of  cellular  mem- 
branous substance,  filled  with  oil  and  sperm- 
aceti, which  lies  between  the  case  and  the 
white -horse  of  a  Sperm  AVhale's  head. 

Knuckle-joint.  —  The  joint  of  the  fin,  or  pec- 
torals, which  connects  with  the  shoulder- 
blade  of  a  whale. 

Lay  on,  or  lay  the  boat  on. — la  to  turn  the 


OLOSSARY    OF    UOIIDS    AXD    FHILtSKS. 


311 


head  of  tlin  boat  towavil  any  oliject  1)y 
iiK'ans  of  the  steciiiit^'-oai'. 

Lay  off)  or  lay  the  boat  off  — Ts  to  turn  the 
111  ul  of  tlic  boat  from  any  object,  liy  ineans 
of  the  st('t'riiij,'-oar. 

Leaning  blubber, — To  cut  the  fltsh,  or  lean 
iiK'at,  ftc,  from  it. 

Leaning -knife.  —  A  larf,'e  knife  used  in  cuttiiij,' 
the  HckIi,  or  other  tissue  destitute  of  oil, 
from  the  blubber,  preparatory  to  tryiiifj  it 
out. 

Lipper.  —  A  piece  of  thin  blubber  cut  into  an 
oblonj^  stjuare,  and  punctiu'cd,  so  as  to 
admit  n  num's  finj,'ers  to  hold  it,  when 
used  in  wiping  up  the  gmry  from  the 
decks,    etc. 

Lipper  ofT  the  decks.  —  Is  to  wipe  the  gurry 
oil'  with  Uppers. 

Lobtailin;;,  or  loptailing.  —  The  action  of  a 
whale  when  it  raises  its  Hiikes  high  out  of 
water,  and  strikes  them  down  with  great 
force  upon  the  sin-face.  2d.  A  whale  beat- 
ing the  surface  of  the  water  with  its  caudal 
fin. 

Loose  irons.  —  Harpoons  which  are  darted  into 
a  whale  with  no  line  attached. 

Mate. —  Tliis  word  is  used  by  whalers  to  signify 
a  partnership  between  two  vessels  in  pur- 
suing whales. 

Mill.  —  To  turn  in  an  opposite  direction,  or 
nearly  so;  as,  "The  whale  was  running  to 
windward,  but  'milled,'  and  ran  to  lee- 
ward." 

Mincing -knife. — ,\  thin,  broad  steel  inii)lement, 
sharp  on  one  edge,  with  a  handle  on  each 
end,  which  is  used  in  cutting  the  blubber 
into  thin  slices,  pre[)aratorv  to  being  boiled 
or  tried  out.     For  illustration,  see  page  iJliS. 

Mux,  or  muxing.  —  To  perform  work  in  an 
awkward  or  improper  manner;  as,  "He 
made  a  nuix  of  it,  and  missed  the  whale," 
i.  ('.,  by  improi)er  management  a  whale  was 
not  struck,  which  otherwise  might  have  been 
secured. 

Noddle-end. — The  anterior  and  upper  portion 
of   a   Sperm  AVhale's  head. 

Nib-end.  —  The  anterior  and  upper  portion  of 
a  whalebone  whale's  head. 

Nisket. — The  anus  of  a  whale. 

Oil-hose. — A  stout  hose  made  of  grained  leather, 
for  the  purpose  of  conducting  the  oil  from 
a  vessel's  deck  into  empty  casks  in  the  hold. 


Piece.  —  This  w(U'd  is  frequently  used  for  brief- 
ness,  instead  of  the  word  blanket-jjiei-e. 

Pike.  —  A  i)ointed  iron  or  sletd  imj)lement  fixed 
to  the  end  of  a  pole,  and  used  in  i)itching 
or  Iiandling  the  pieces  of  i)lubber,  etc.  For 
illustration,  see  iilate  xxv. 

Raising  -whales  —  AVlien  first  seeing  a  whale 
from  the  mast-head,  or  other  place,  it  is 
termed  "raising  a  wliale."  It  is  also  used 
to  express  the  fact  of  seeing  any  object,  as, 
"  AVe  raised  the  land,  sixty  miles  <listant." 

Recruits.  —  Fresh  j>rovisions  and  supplies  for  a 
whale -ship.  2d.  Various  articles  put  on 
board  tlie  shij)  to  purchase  recruits  with 
(at  remote  islauils  or  coasts),  sucli  as  cli)th- 
ing,  calicoes,  tobacco,  and  a  variety  of  other 
domestic  articles. 

Ridge — The  ujjjier  portion  of  a  wh.-ile's  "small.  ' 

Ripple.  — The  agitation  of  the  surface  of  the 
water  by  a  whale  when  swimming-  near  it, 
but  still  not  visible,  as,  "I  can  not  sec  the 
whale,  but  can  see  its  ripple." 

Rounding,  or  rounding  out.  — The  attitude  of 
a  whale  wlien  curving  its  small  in  order  to 
descend  below-  the  surface  of  tlie  water. 

Rugged.  — The  state  of  the  sea  wlien  agit.-ited. 
A  rough  sea,  ac<'ompanied  with  blowing 
weather,  is  termed  by  whalers  "rugged 
weather." 

Sampson -post. —A  heavy  upright  timber,  finnly 
secured  in  the  deck  (and  extending  about 
two  feet  al)ovc  it),  to  wliiili  the  lluke- chain, 
or  fluke -rope,  is  made  fast. 

Scooping. — This  term  is  applied  to  the  action 
of  whalebone  whales  when   feeding. 

Scrap-hopper. — A  llaring  wooden  box  which  is 
])laced  beside  the  try- works  to  receive  tlie 
scraps  when  skinuned  from  the  try-pots. 
It  has  holes  in  tlie  bottom  through  which 
the  oil  that  drips  from  the  scraps  runs  into 
a  tub  called  a  "strainer-cooler." 

Scraps.  — The  residue  of  the  blubber  after  tlie 
oil  is  extracted  by  boiling-. 

Scrimshawring,  or  to  serimsha-w,  or  skim- 
shander,  as  sometimes  termed. — Is  to  ex- 
ecute any  piece  of  ingenious  mechanical 
work.  It  is  aii})lied  particularly  to  jidlishing 
and  engraving  upon  whalelione  or  whales 
teeth,  or  manufacturing  fancy  articles  from 
the  same  materials. 

Skimmer. — A  broad  scoop  composed  of  copjiei', 
iron,  and  wooil.     The  utensil  is  about  seven 


312 


APPENDIX. 


feet  long,  and  is  used  in  removing  scraps 
from  tho  try-pota.  For  illustration,  see 
fig.  3,  p.  239. 

Skinuning- slicks.  —  A.  phrase  used  by  whale- 
men when  employed  in  saving  any  small 
amount  of  fat  from  the  entrails  or  from  the 
exterior  of  the  carcass  after  the  blubber  has 
been  stripped  oflf. 

Slumgullion.  — The  offal  from  the  blubber  of  a 
whale. 

Small. — The  posterior  portion  of  a  whale,  be- 
tween tho  vent  and  caudal  fin. 

Soiinding.  —  Is  the  term  signifying  the  descent 
of  the  whale  after  being  fastened  to. 

Stem,  or  stem  all.  —  Is  the  invariable  order 
given  to  the  whaleboat's  crew,  when  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  propel  the  boat  stern 
foremost. 

Stirring  -  pole.  —  A  wooden  pole  six  or  seven 
feet  'ong,  used  to  stir  the  blubber  in  the 
try -pots.      See  illustration,  fig.  2,  p.  239. 

Stopped.  —  To  confine  a  rope,  or  ropes,  usually 
by  a  smaller  line,  as,  "Stop  the  line  to  the 
'iron -pole'"  (or  harjioon  staff),  i.  t'.,  con- 
fine the  line  to  the  pole  by  passing  one  or 
more  turns  of  twine,  or  rope-yarn,  around 
both  lino  and  pole,  and  confining  the  ends 
by  knotting  them  together. 

Suds. — The  foam  on  the  surface  of   the  water 


caused  by  the  violent  actions  of  a  whale  in 
the  coui-se  of  its  capture,  as,  "In  order  to 
get  a  good  chance  to  kill  the  whale,  you 
must  keep  close  to  the  suds." 

Svreeping. — The  action  of  a  whale  when  wield- 
ing its  flukes  from  side  to  side  in  an  offen- 
sive or  defensive  manner,  causing  a  gi'eat 
con.' motion  on  the  water. 

Toggle. — A  large  wooden  pin,  about  three  feet 
long,  and  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter, 
with  a  swell  or  shoulder  near  the  middle. 
It  has  a  hole  ueai'  one  end,  through  which 
a  rope  is  attached,  which  is  termed  the 
toggle -lanyard.  This  lanyard  is  used  in 
handling  or  confining  the  toggle.  See  il- 
lustration, p.  234. 

Turning  flukes.— The  last  action  of  a  whale 
upon  the  surface  of  the  water  when  making 
its  descent  beneath,  which  is  to  elevate  its 
caudal  fin  in  the  air  as  the  body  assumes 
nearly  a  pei-pendicular  attitude. 

Trying  out.— To  extract  the  oil  from  the  blub- 
ber by  boiling. 

White  -  horse.  —  An  extremely  tough  and  sin- 
ewy substance  resembling  blubber,  but  des- 
titute of  oil,  which  lies  between  the  upper 
jaw  and  junk  of  a  Sperm  Whale. 

White -water. — The  foam  or  spray  caused  by 
the  violent  actions  of  a  whale. 


LIST   OF   STORES    AND   OUTFITS 


FIRST-CLASS   AMI  ALE  -  SHIP,    lOK    A   (  APK    HORN    VOYAiiK, 


EXCLUSIVE    01' 


THE    INVENTOEY    OF    A  5IE1JCHANT-SHI1',   WHICH,    ALTHOUGH    INCLUDED    IN    A 
WHALE -SHIP'S  OUTFIT,   IS  NOT  HEUE  ENUMERATED. 


350  barrels  of  liveaJ. 
1(K)  Imrrcls  of  flour. 
18i»  LinrreLs  of  lues.s  beef. 
1)0  barrels  of  extra  prime  pork. 
1,C,00  ban-els  of  fresh  water. 
l.tiOO  pounds  of  codfish. 

2  barrels  of  uiackt    '1 . 
1,200  tjallons  of  molasses. 
1,200  pounds  of  su^'ur. 
2,000  pounds  of  butl.'r. 

(!  barrels  of  Iiuliai;  meal. 
300  pounds  of  riec. 
311  bushels  of  corn. 
20  busluils  of  beans. 
400  pounds  of  dried  apples. 
300  pounds  of  cheese. 
2  barrels  of  cucumber  pickles 
15  bushels  of  onions. 
50  pounds  of  raisins. 


I'UOVLSIONS,     ETC. 

200  pounds  of  tea. 
1,200  pounds  of  coffee. 
50  pounds  of  chocolate. 

2  pounds  of  hops. 

(5  bottles  of  essence  of  spruce 
]2  bottles  of  pej)pcr- sauce. 

8  pounds  of  ginyer. 
2")  pounds  of  pepper. 

0  pounds  of  allspice, 

1  mat  of  cassia. 

G.bottles  of  ■> round  mustard. 
1  quart  of  mustard -seed. 
1  pound  of  luitmcH's. 
f)0  pounds  of  saleratus. 
1  pound  of  cloves. 
A  bushel  of  fine  salt. 
(i  bottles  of  lemon  syrup. 

3  pounds  of  saf!;e. 

3  pounds  of  summer  savory. 


12  bushels  of  coarse  salt. 
300  jjfallous  of  vineij;ar. 

0  dozen  2-tt)  cans  roast  beef. 

4  dozen  2-tt)  <'ans  I'oast  mutton. 

(I  dozen   2  -  tti   cans    soup   and 
boiiillon. 

G  dozen  2-tti  cans  clams. 

4  dozen  1-It)  tins  canned  lob- 
ster. 

4  dozen  2-tt)  tins  canned  oys- 
ters. 

4  dozen  2-tt)  tins  canned  tur- 
key. 
1,800  poiinds  soap. 

1  barrel  oil-soa]). 

50  pounds  sperm  candles. 
12  fi;allons  whale  oil  for  biu'a- 
in-,'. 

2  K'allo'>s  sperm  oil  for  burning. 


1  large  medicine  chest,  full. 
6  gallons  Now  England  rum. 

Maiunk  Mammals.— 40. 


MEDICAL   DEl'AnTMENT, 

2  gallons  brandy. 
2  gallons  port  wine. 

.  mi 


(1  dozen  pain-killer. 

3  dozen  rat  exterminator. 


314 


APPENDIX. 


2(1  bii':brls  clinrcoal. 
1-t  lusliels  C'limberlaiKl  coal. 
100  piiiuiils  assortetl  iron. 
1  bar  steel. 
1  soldering  iron. 
1  vioe. 
'1  sledges. 
1  liand  hammer. 


BLACKSMITH  8   DEr.VRTMEST. 

1  wrench. 

1  lot  of  old  bolts. 

1  anvil. 

h  pound  borax. 

\  po.ind  fpelter  solder. 

2  jjounds  soft  solder. 
1  tuer-iron. 

1  bellows. 


2  pairs  tongs. 

1  set  taps  and  dies. 

1  screw-plate. 

1  dozen  assorted  files. 

3  punches. 

I  cold -chisel. 
1  swedge. 


COOPER  S    DEPAKTMENT. 


(."lOO  barrels  of  oil -casks. 

1  pair  compasses. 

2A  tons  hoop  iron. 

5  vices. 

10(1  pounds  5d.  rivets. 

1  bit- stock. 

100  pounds  id.  rivets. 

i  dozen  bits. 

5  pounds  lid.  rivets. 

2  .'spokesliaves. 

.5  pounds  "id.  rivets. 

1  saw. 

1(1  barrels  sand. 

1  bilge -phiue. 

800  pounds  liags. 

3  marking  irons. 

50  new  staves. 

2  anvils. 

300  feet  yellow  pine  heading. 

1  '.nshave. 

I  piece    red    cedar    for   worn> 

1  heading  saw. 

pecks. 

2  bung-borers. 

50  pounds  chalk. 

2  tap-boters. 

1  dinible  iron  jointer. 

1  axe. 

1  large  croze. 

1  adze. 

1  small  croze. 

2  chuiufering  knives. 

1  patent  cro/.e-iron. 

2  drawing  knives. 

1  stock  howeling  knife. 

1  leveling  plane. 

8  cast -steel  hammers. 
18  cast -steel  drivers. 
8  cast -steel  punches. 
8  cast -steel  cold -chisels. 

2  rivet  sets. 

2  worm  -  punches. 

3  flagging -dogs. 
1  round  plane. 

1  cooj)er's  horse. 
1  harness -cask. 
1  water-butt. 
1  grindstone -tub. 
()  line -tubs. 
1  cooper's  bellows. 
.'jOO  bungs,  assorted  sizes. 


TOO  feet  white  pine  lumber. 

12  pine  and  spruce  planks,  as- 
sorted lengths. 
100  feet  oak  p'   .ik. 
900  feet  cedar  boat  boards. 

'.U  boat  timbers. 

12  boat  knees. 

2  boat  stems. 
1  boat  keel. 

1  oak  plank  for  gunwales. 
40  white -oak  butts. 

3  grindstones  with  cranks. 
1  calking  mallet. 

4  calking  irons. 
1  panel -saw. 

1  wood -saw  and  1  extra  plate. 

2  handsaws. 

1  splitting- saw. 
1  back-  saw. 


CAKPENTEIl  S    DEPAUTMENT. 

1  compass  -saw. 

A  dozen  augers,  assorted  sizes. 

1  broad -axe. 

2  jointers. 

2  fore -planes. 

2  smooth  -planes,  ' 
1  hollow -plane. 

3  round -planes. 
1  adze. 

1  iron  S(piare. 
1  carpenter's  rule. 

1  bevel. 

2  board  gauges. 

2  comi)ass(s, 

1  scarling  (Oiisel. 

3  socket  chisols. 

7  firmer  chisels,  assorted. 
1  try-sipiare. 

4  socket  gougoH,  asHorted, 


()  firmer  gouges,  assorted. 
2  chalk  lines. 
2  sj)ike  gimlets. 
2  deck -nail  gimlets. 
12  nail  gimlets. 

2  rough  gindets. 

3  claw-hammers. 
1  boat  hammer. 

1  ))ump  hammer. 
5  whetstones. 

2  Kandstoncs. 
C  wood  files. 

1  pair  large  boat  nippers. 

1  pair  small  boat  nippers, 

4  narrow  axes. 

(1  broad  hatchets. 

2  deck  hatchets. 

1  hold  hatchet. 

2  largo  hult-rouud  wood  rasps. 


LIST    OF   STORES    AND    OUTFITS. 


S15 


5  flat  files,  assortod. 

3  lialf-rouiul  files. 
12  bniid-saw  files. 

4  siiiall  saw  files. 
3  round  files. 

1  saw-set. 

1  screw -driver. 

1  bit -stock. 

5  gimlet  bits. 
11  assorted  bits. 

1  spoke -shave. 
1  dra\vin<'- knife. 


20  pounds 
12  pounds 

5  pounds 
2  pounds 
4  pounds 

10  pounds 
0  jjounds 

6  pounds 
12  pounds 
15  pounds 
25  pounds 
10  pounds 


clinch  nails, 
tindjer  nails, 
wood  end  nails, 
lap  nails, 
foot  nails, 
ceding  nails, 
(id.  wrought  nails. 
8d.  wrought  nails. 
lOd.  wrought  nails. 
8d.  cut  nails. 
lOd.  cut  nails. 
12d.  cut  nails. 


5  dozen  iron  and  brass  screws, 

assorted. 
50  pounds  old  lead. 
20  pounds  sheet  lead. 
10  pounds  coppering  nails. 

5  pounds  sheathing  nails. 
50  pounds  wrought  iron  ppikes. 
12  sheets  yellow  metal. 

1  pound  flinch  copper  nails. 

2  pairs  steelyards. 

18  roughs  and  clinches. 


1  caboose,  complete. 

2  sets  grates  for  same. 
2  sets  linings  for  same. 
1  spare  tea-kdttle  for  same. 
1  spare  steamer  for  same. 

1  spare  boiler  for  same. 
4stev/-pau8. 

2  frying-pans. 
1  cook's  ladle. 
1  cook's  fork. 
1  cook's  skimmer. 
1  cook's  bellows. 
1  tinder-box  (flint,  steel,  etc.) 
1  chopping- knife. 
1  chopping -tray. 
1  sieve. 
1  coft'ee-niill. 
1  mortar  and  pestle. 
'  tabic -bell. 

1  rabin-bell. 
rtoves  and  pipes. 

'!  udiles. 

9      ble- covers. 

2  do/en  tabl(!- cloths. 
2  dozen  birch  brooms. 


CABK.     VXD    COOKINQ    FVRNITUKE,    ETC. 

2  dozen  corn  brooms. 
2  dust -pans. 
2  dust-brushes. 
2  chairs. 
4  stools. 

2  looking-glasses. 
1  molasses  gate. 
1  carving  knife  and  fork. 
1  set  of  table  knives  and  forks. 
IG  spare  knives  and  forks. 
1  dozen  spoons  ( table ). 
1  dozen  spoons  (tea). 
1  britannia  soup  ladle. 
1  table  steel. 
1  tumbler  l)asket. 

1  hand  basket. 

2  bushel  baskets. 

1  gross  of  matches. 

2  dozen  Hints. 
2  scrid)bing  brushes. 
i  dozen  Bristol  brick, 

1  tinned  iron  wash-basin. 

2  cook's  shovels. 
1  corkscrew. 
1  pair  scissors, 


4  large  platters. 

1  dozen  assorted  bowls. 
4  nappies. 

3  bakers. 
Ih  dozen  soup  plates. 

2  dozen  dinner  i)lates. 

1  dozen  dessert  plates, 
li  dozen  nuigs. 

1^  dozen  saucers. 

2  butter  dishes. 

2  sugar  bowls. 

3  pitchers. 

1  large  stone  pitcher. 

1  chamber. 

2  simp  tureens. 

1  large  covered  dish. 
1  castor,  comi  lote. 

3  sparr"  bottles  for  same. 

1  dozen  tumblers. 

2  salt-cellars. 

1  large  oval  dish. 

1  gravy  dish. 

2  spittoons. 

1  cabin  clock. 


XAITICAI.    INSTIU.'KNTS,    !  TATIONKUV,    ETC. 


1  sextant,  provided  by  the  cap- 
tain. 

Quadrants  and- octants,  provid- 
ed by  the  officers. 

'?■  chronometers. 

I  barometer. 

1  thermometer. 

1  spy -glass. 


2  binocidar  glasses. 

2  fo\uteen- second  glasses. 

1  transparent  compass. 

4  brass  boat  compasses  and 
wooden  ones. 

2  brass  biniuiclo  compasses. 
1  mast-head  compass. 

1  binnacle  lantern. 


1  log-book. 

2  log -slates, 

4  nautical  almanacs  for  succes- 
sive years. 

2  account  books. 

4  niomoranduni  book-i. 

3  sticks  sealing-wax. 
^  dozen  lead  pencils. 


316 


APPENDIX. 


1  dozen  slate  pencils, 
f)  dozen  steel  pens. 

A  dozen  pen-bolders. 

2  bottles  of  ink. 
2  inkstuuds. 


100  envelopes. 
;U  quires  letter  and  note  paper. 
A  quire  bill  paper. 
4  inward  manifests. 


1  Gunter's  scale  and  dividers. 
1  set  charts  around  the  world. 
1  set  harbor  charts  (foreign.) 
1  parallel  rule. 


WHAIJNO    CRAFT. 


4  whaling  bomb -guns. 
150  bomb -lances. 

5  powder-flasks. 
5  chargers. 


15  two-flued  harpoons. 
150  toggle  harpoons. 
35  cast -steel  lances. 


4  Pierce's  harpoon  bomb-lance 
guns. 
50  Pierce's  bomb -lances. 
10  pounds  bomb  -  gun  powder. 


1  set  cutting  blocks. 

1  set  cutting -guy  blocks. 

2  ;5- sheave  purchase  blocks. 

1  4 -sheave  purchase  blocks. 

2  2 -sheave  purchase  blocks. 
1  set  of  burton  blocks. 

lA  dozen  spart^  sheaves. 

1^  dozen  spare  sheave  -  pins. 

1^  dozen  spare  jib -hanks. 

T  dozen  spare  hoops  (stay  and 
gall'). 

4  mast-hoops. 

1  lot  belaying -pins. 

2  sets  pump  gear. 

1  pump  hook, 
(i  handspikes. 

4  watch  -  tackle  blocks, 

2  dozen  assorted  blocks. 
ItO  coil.i  of  whale -lino. 

\\  coils  of  4 -inch  tarred  rope. 


BLOCKS,    CORDAGE,    .     ^  ''AS,    ETC. 

2  coils  of  15-thrt.i.  ••. 

2  coils  of  12-thread  >. 

1  coil  2-inch  tarred  ropu. 
1  coil  2j-inch  tarred  rope. 

1  coil  2  J -inch  tarred  rope, 
i  coil  ;U-inch  tarred  rope. 
A  coil  !t|-inch  tarred  rope. 

504  pounds  old  tarred  rope,  as- 
sorted. 
4  coils  2 -inch  Manila  rope. 
II  coils  2i  -  inch  Manila  rope. 

2  coils  I'i'-inch  Manila  rope. 
1  coil  li  -inch  Manila  rope. 

1  coil  5^  -inch  Manila  rope  (for 

cutting -falls). 

2  coils  IH- thread  ratline. 
1  coil  2 -yarn  spunya'-n. 
1  coil  3  -  inch  Manila  rope. 

3  coils  21  -  inch  Manila  rope. 
1  coil  '.(-thread  worm -line. 


1  coil  C  -  thread  worm 

-line. 

1  coil  seizing  stuff. 

1  coil  3  -  yarn  sjmnyar 

a. 

1  coil  3|  -  inch  Manila 

rope. 

1  coil  3^-inch  Manila 

rope. 

1  coil  2:J  -  inch  Manila 

rope. 

1  coil  4A-inchMauilai 

ope (cut 

ting-guys). 

1  spare  cutting -fall. 

1  spare  lance  line. 

2,000  pounds  old  junk. 

1  ship's  ensign. 

1  agent's  signal. 

1  set  private  signals. 

2  spare  log -lines. 

2  spare  hand -lead  lines. 

2  dozen  fish  lines. 

1  deep  -  sea  lead  line. 

1  deep  -  sea  lead. 

1  hand  lead. 

4(t()  pounds  white  lead. 
250  pounds  black  lead. 
(!0  gallons  lii\seed  oil. 
2  gallons  Japan  varnish. 
2  gallons  spirits  turpentine. 
Ut  pounds  verdigris. 
12  i)api'rs  lampblack. 
10  gallons  bright  varnish. 


PAINTS,    OILS,    ETC. 

1  gallon  copal  varnish. 
10  pounds  whiting. 
50  pounds  putty. 
50  pounds  chrome  green. 
50  pounds  yellow  ochre, 
10  pounds  Venetian  red. 

3  pounds  I'rus.sian  blue, 
10  pounds  red  lead. 


12  li'.rge  size  paint-brushes, 
(!  sash  tools. 

3  scam  brushes. 

25  panes  window  glass. 

4  pounds  chrome  yellow. 
10  pounds  burnt  umber. 

\  barrel  coal  tar. 


1  spare  lower  yard 
1  spare  topsail  yard. 
3  rough  spars. 


SPARE    Sl-ARS    AND    SAILS. 

1  Spare  to])mast. 
1  spare  jil)boom. 
1  foresail. 


1  fore -topsail. 

1  main -topsail. 

2  topgallant- sails. 


[ 


LIST    OF    STORES    AND    OUTFITS. 


317 


1  fore  spencer. 

1  fore -topmast  staysail, 

1  ji'i. 

1  flying  jib. 


1  mainsail. 

i  royals. 

1  main  spencer. 

1  mizzen- topsail. 


2  mizzen-topgallant-sails. 
1  spanker. 
15  bolts  assorted  canvas. 


4  dozen 
4  dozen 
4  dozen 
6  dozen 
10  dozen 
10  dozen 
8  dozen 
(i  dozen 
G  dozen 
8  dozen 
4  dozen 


pairs  of  blankets, 
suspenders, 
comforters. 
Scotch  caps, 
woolen  drawers, 
cotton  drawers. 
Guernsey  frocks, 
duck  frocks. 
baudkercLiefs. 
hats, 
pea-jackets. 


CLOTHING,    ETC. 

2  dozen  monkey  jackets. 

4  dozen  short  jackets. 

G  dozen  sheath -knives. 

0  dozen  jack-knives. 

(J  dozen  mittens. 
20  dozen  stockings. 
10  dozen  shoes. 

4  dozen    red    twilled 
shirts. 

4  dozen    drab    twilled 
shirts. 


kersey 
kersey 


7  dozen  striped  cotton  shirts. 
20  pieces  of  calico. 

C  dozen  sheaths  and  belts. 

G  dozen  blue  woolen  trowsers. 

(i  dozen  drab  woolen  trowsers. 

6  dozen  duck  trowsers. 
25  pounds  of  thread. 
10  pounds  linen  thread. 

1  gross  assorted  needles. 

4  dozen  thimbles. 

G  gross  of  pipcK. 


5  bales  bleached  cotton  cloth. 
7  bales  brown  cotton  cloth. 
7  bales  blue  cotton  cloth. 
40  pieces  of  prints. 
G  dozen  of  shoes. 


RECRUITS,    on   TRADE, 

10  dozen  of  pumps. 
20  dozen  of  boots, 
50  Ijoxes  of  soap. 
10  bo.KCs  of  sperm  candles 
1,000  pounds  of  tobacco. 


3  dozen  axes. 

3  dozen  hatchets. 

G  reams  writing  paper. 

6  reams  letter  paper,  etc. 


MISCELLANEOUS, 


20  cutting-spades. 

C  boat  masts. 

2  wide  spades. 

40  spruce  poles  for  spare  masts 

2  throat- hpades. 

sprits,  etc. 

2  head -spades. 

24  lance -poles. 

8  boat -spades. 

40  cords  oak  wood. 

3  blubber -hooks. 

6  cords  pine  wood. 

1  large  boat-hook. 

40  barrels  saw -dust. 

8  small  boat-hooks. 

7  now  whale-boats. 

2  steel  blubber -forks. 

1  old  whale-boat. 

1  long -handled  pike. 

!t  sets  of  oars  (45  oars). 

(■)  short-handled  pikes. 

0  steering  oars. 

G  gain's. 

7  sets  rowlocks  ( 35  rowlocks ) 

3  boarding -knives. 

1  pair  lifters. 

(i  leaning -knives. 

1  cradle. 

1  mincing-machine. 

18  scrapers. 

2  mincing-knives. 

3  shovels. 

2  line -hooks. 

1  hoe. 

G  shackles  for  topsail  sheets. 

8  dozen  ftsh -hooks,  assorted. 

3  sets  can -hooks. 

1  copper  cooler  and  cock. 

I  single  can -hook  for  cooper. 

1  hose -cock  and  joints. 

10  marline -spikes. 

1  scuttle-butt  cock. 

250  iron  polos. 

3  copper  hand-pumps. 

2  skimmers, 

3  long  handlo<l  bailers, 
2  hand  bailers. 

1  copper  vent-pipe  (large). 
1  copper  -ent-pipe  (small). 

1  copper  tunnel. 

2  copper  tunnel  noses. 

1  branding  iron  (ship's  name). 
1  binnacle  bell. 
1  ship's  bell. 
1  tin  bailer. 

1  tin  oil -tunnel. 

3  tin  assorted  tunnels. 

2  deck  scoops. 

1  large  signal  lantern. 
1  bowsprit  lantern. 

1  side  lantern. 

2  side  lights. 

1  globe  lantern. 
1  cabin  lantern. 
G  boat  lanterns. 
1  cook's  lantern. 


_^ 


318 


APPENDIX. 


1 

12 
2 
2 
2 

() 
8 

i; 
(i 

5 
5 

a 

3 

1 

1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
(> 
1 
1 
1 
I 

3 
2 

1 
1 
3 

2 
1 
i 
3 
3 
1 
4 
1 
1 
12 
1 
4 
3 


l)innn('le  lamp. 

chimneys  for  ditto. 

blubber -icon  lanips. 

cnndlesticks. 

Initiiuuia  liinips. 

Japan  stand -lamps. 

jacket  lamp.s. 

bake-jiaus  for  oven. 

pie. plates. 

large  tin  pans. 

small  tin  pans. 

dozen  sailoi'  pans. 

coft'ee  -  pots. 

tea-pots. 

britaunia  tureen. 

one -pint  measure. 

one -quart  measure. 

two -quart  measure. 

three -quart  measiu'e. 

gallon  measure. 

molasses  cup. 

tinder  boxes,  complete. 

brass  sjieaking- trumpet. 

tin  sjjeaking- trumpet. 

pepper- box. 

nutmeg  gi,"*or. 

lamp  feeders. 

cullenders. 

tea  canister. 

coffee  canister. 

pudding -bags, 

iU'^ir-bos. 

ilour-scoops. 

bread -tray. 

cook's  dijjpers. 

tin  Avasli- basins. 

spare  frying-pans. 

match  safe. 

dozen  tin  pots. 

crowbar. 

stowing  bar. 

chain  -hooks. 

set  marking  irons  for  ernft. 

grapnels. 

lluke- chains. 


1  tin -chain.  1 

3  head -straps.  1 
1  chain  stopper.  1 
1  tish  hook.  ,2 

4  chain  punches.  8 
1  pair  of  grains.  4 
1  rope -jack.  4 

28  hooks  and  thimbles.  2 

18  thimbles.  1 
4  boat  anchors. 

1  set  chain  pendants.  1 
1  tire  pike. 

i  dozen  oil -scoops.                .  2 

3  shackles.  1 

3  cutting- toggles.  2 

1  masthead  waif.  12 
A  dozen  large  marline  needles.  1 
3  dozen  small  marline  needles.      20 

3  dozen  roping  needles.  (i 
T)  dozen  assorted  sail  needles.  4 

lA  dozen  sewing  palms.  G 

4  balls  shoe  thread.  4 
20  pounds  whipping  twine.  4 
fiv)  po\nids  sail  twine.  (i 

2  pounds  lamp -wick.  4 
2  dozen  corks.  1 
4  pounds  brimstone.  1 
f)  Bath  brick.  4 

1  side  pump  leather  4 

2  sides  rigging  leather.  4 
.')()  pounds  cannon  powder.  1 
25  pounds  musket  powder.  4 

2,0C0  percussion  caps.  1 

1  signal -gini.  1 

1  dozen  muskets.  1 

2  barrels  clay.  1 
1  barrel  lime.  3 

3  barrels  tar. 

\  barrel  rosin.  12 

3  try -pots  (two  sets  in  the  3 

try -works).  3 

1  deck  -  pot  and  1  spare  deck-    4,000 

pot.  4,000 

4  tons  hard  coal.  1,000 
200  bricks. 


oil  hose  and  cock. 

hcse-tub. 

draw -bucket. 

sets  chest  hinges. 

grate  bars  for  try -works. 

iron  knees  for  try-works. 

smoke  pipes  for  try -works. 

iron  doors  for  try -works. 

caboose  stove  (large)  and  ap- 
paratus. 

Horsburgh's  East  India  Di- 
rectory. 

trowels. 

blubber-room  steel. 

rigging  screws. 

pairs  handcuffs. 

screw  cutting-plate  and  dies. 

boat  paddles. 

boat  anchors. 

boat  grapnels. 

boat  kegs. 

lantern  kegs. 

drags. 

line -tubs. 

fog-horns. 

dozen  boat  knives. 

dozen  boat  hatchets. 

boat  crotches. 

tub -oar  crotches. 

boat  buckets. 

dozen  nippers. 

dozen  chock -pins. 

case  bucket. 

turning -lathe. 

set  turning  gouges. 

set  turning  chisels 

dozen  floats,  or  coarse  files, 
for  working  whalebone. 

brad -awls. 

saddler's  awls. 

sewing  awls. 

cojipor  tacks. 

iron  tacks. 

pounds  of  tobacco. 

Books  for  ship's  library. 


Note.  —  jNIany  of  the  articles  herein  enumerated  are  nnule  on  board  ship  from  materials  sup- 
plied for  the  purpose,  while  there  are  many  others  of  but  trivial  importance  wliiirh  are  not  men- 
tioned. Relative  to  the  quantity  of  clothing  and  recruits — the  last  named  being  also  called  "trade" 
—  they  vaiy  materially  with  difl'erent  owners  of  whips  and  the  nature  of  the  voyngo  undertaken. 
Hence,   the    lists   referred   to   can   only  be   regarded   as  approximative.      A  Cape   Horn   voyage,   as 


LIST    OF   STORES    AND    OUTFITS.  319 

termed,  ordinarily  involves  tlie  time  of  three  years  or  more.  A  ship  that  takes  three  seasons  north, 
after  arriving  in  the  Pacific,  generally  prolongs  her  absence  from  home  to  three  years  and  a  half. 
Sperm  whalers  are  not  so  much  confined  to  the  regular  annual  seasons  for  pursuing  their  prey  as 
are  the  Right  or  Polar  whalemen,  as  they  change  from  one  ground  to  another  through  the  year, 
and  their  wyages  are  frequently  extended  from  three  and  a  half  to  four  years.  Vessels  fitted  out 
for  the  North  "pacific,  Arctic  Ocean,  Okhotsk  Sea,  or  Japan  Sea,  generally  sail  from  home  in  the 
fall  of  the  year,  in  order  to  make  the  passage  of  Cape  Horn  or  Cape  of  Good  Hope  during  the 
summer  season  of  that  region  ;  and  all  whalers,  as  far  as  practicable,  return  to  the  home  coast  in 
the  spring  months ;  yet  we  may  say  they  are  continually  coming  and  going.  But  the  old  routine 
of  whaling-voyages  is  now  much  changed,  especially  with  the  larger  class  of  vessels  which  ply  their 
vocatici  "i  the  Pacific  and  contiguous  waters.  Many  of  the  ships  are  now  ordered  by  their  owners 
to  San  i'rancisco,  California,  at  the  termination  of  each  northern  season,  where  an  agent  meets  the 
vessels,  and  transacts  the  business  of  transshipping  oil  and  bone,  refitting  ship,  and  changing  officers 
and  crews,  which  now  often  occurs.  ■ 


I  N  1)  I']  X  . 


PAfiE 

Aleuts,  mode  of  capturing  the  Sea  Lion  bj'.  lliG 

American  Whale -fishei-y,  The 185-275 

whaling  commerce 185,  209,  240,  2-11 

Anderson  on  early  whaling  commerce 180 

Arctic,  Bowheads  of  the 58 

ice  fields,  whales  in 31 

Baidm-ka  ( Hkin-boat) 4C 

Baidarra  (large  ojmu  skin -boat) 32 

Baird's  Dolphin 99 

lialwna  mi/.iiwtiis,  anatomy  of 308 

Baleen  of  seven  species  of  whalebone  whales.     55 

Banded  Seal 140 

Barnacle,  species  of 21 

Bay  Porpoise 95 

Bay -whaling,  commencement  of 23 

Beale  on  ambergris 82 

on  nature  of  Sperm  Whale  food 80 

Behring  Sea,  whale  first  taken  in 213 

Strait,  when  ships  ciin  pass  through....     59 

Belon's  description  of  Right  Whale 187 

Blackfiah 85 

description  of 85 

how  captured 87 

measurements  of 80 

oil  product  of 87 

where  formerly  found  and  favorite  resort.     87 
Boat,   peculiar  form  of,  used  in   capture  of 

the  Sea  Otter 170 

Bomb-gun 20 

Bottlcnosed  Grampus 104 

Bowhead,  or  Great  Polar  Whale 52-05 

Bowheads  of  the  Arctic,  classification  of .  . . .     58 

cf  Okhotsk  Sea GO 

Browne,   J.    Ross,   chronological   account   of 

whaling  commerce  by 185 

Brownsided  Dolijhin 100 

Bryant,   Captain,   account  of    the   Fur   Seal 

by 15G-1G3 

MAniNK  Mammaui.— 4t.  I 


"Bunehbacks" 01 

Butler,  Ben 130 

Caolialot  (  French  for  Sperm  Wliale ) 74 

California  Academy  of  Sciences,  Proceedings 

of   '. 21,  38 

California  Gray  AVhale 20-33 

California  shore -whaling 247 

lagoons,  whaling  in  the 259 

Carmel  Bay,  whaling  station  at 250 

Cetacea  of  the  Nortli  Pacific,  Catalogue  of. .   281 

Cetaceans,  prefatory  remarks  to 17-19 

age  of 18 

descending  movements  of 19 

propulsion   of 19 

sexual  liabits  of 18 

species  of 17 

time  of  gestation  of 18 

Cuttle-fishes 79 

Cowfish 101 

description  of 101 

habits  of 101 

where  observed 101 

Coxe,  notice  of  Sea  Otter 109 

Dull,  W.  H.,  Catalogue  of  Cetacea  of  North 

Pacific 281 

description  of  parasites  by 21,  38,  57 

Desolation  Island,  hunting  the  Sea  Elephant 

on 122-123 

Doli^hin,  Baird's 99 

description  of 99 

liabitat  of 99 

measurements  of 100 

Brownsided,  of  Santa  Barbara  Channel, 

description  of 100 

Doljihins 85-109 

rapacity  of 18 

varieties  of 85 

Dutch  and  English,  whaling -voyages  of  the.   188 


a 


u 


INDEX. 


Esc'hi'ifht  on  the  iiiitmc  of  Orca  food !tO 

Esiiuiinaiix  wlialiiifi-boat,  descriptiou  of .    .  .     31 

Fiul.fick  AVlialo U-'M\ 

Northcni 3(! 

Fur  Soals Ul-l(i3 

Cilossary    of    AVorila    and    Phrases    used    Ijy 

whalemen 300 

Godnian,  notice  of  Narwlial 107 

Graniims,  Bottlenosed,  description  of 10-1 

oil  product  of 104 

Panama,  description  of 10-1 

Piijijet   Sound,  description  of 105 

San  Die_i,'o  Bay,  description  of 105 

Scpiarclieaded,  description  of 10(i 

"Whitiheadcd  or  Jlottlcd,  description  of..   103 

Gray,  notice  of  Hiunphack  AVliule 43 

Greener's  Harpoon -guu,  how  used 27 

Gun,  utility  of 248 

Herd's  Island,  huntinfj;  Sea  Elephant  on.  120-122 

Hollii'ill  on  rapacity  of  Orca !)2 

Hninpl.ack  \Vhale 38-48 

Hunting  Sea  Otter  from  the  shore 172 

Indian  mode  of  hunting  Sea  Otter 173 

Indians,  method  of  cai^tming  Fur  Seal  by. .    154 
of    the    North  -  western    Coast,    whaling 

among  the 29,  30 

Japan  Coast,  Sperm  "Whale,  where  first  dis- 
covered on  the 212 

Karaginski  Island,  whales  taken  off 59 

Lagoon -whaling,  disasters  of 2(J0 

incidents 2(i.') 

voyage,  success  of 2(14 

Leopard  Seal 1(!4-1C7 

Life   and   characteristics  of  American  whale- 
men    252 

Lindenian,  Dr.,  notice  of  early  whale -fishery.  189 

List  of  Stores  and  OutKts 313 

Macy's  notice  of   the   Ilaui'r'n  outtl.. 21(5 

Magdalena  Kay,  whaling  in 270 

Marten,  Frederic,  notice  of  a  whaling -voyage 

in  1(171 190 

M'CuUoch  on  early  whaling  commerce 187 

Monterey,  whaling  in  the  Bay  of 44 

Nantucket,  early  whaling  commeree  of 208 

whaling,  early  manner  of 20G 

Narwhal ". 107 

description  of 107 

food  of 108 

hahitat  of 107 

Northern  Finback  Whale 3(J 

lli-jht  Whalo  grounds 214 


FAni 

Oil  and  Bone,  price  of,  from  1S35  to  1872.   242 

Oil,   manner  of  trying-out 238 

taken  in  California  slmrc-whaling 250 

whale,  statistics  from   17(;2  to   1770 206 

Okhotsk   Sea,  Bowhcad  Whales  of CO 

first  cajiture  of  Bowhcad  Whales  in....     (!0 

Orca,  or  Killer 88 

description  of 88 

ferocity  of 89 

food  of 90 

habitat  of 89 

high  and  low-finned 89 

mating  season  of 92 

rapacity  of 92 

Origin  and  ancient  mode  of  whale- fishing.     185 

Otter,  Sea lGS-174 

distribution  of 1C9 

food  of 109 

form  of 1C8 

mode  of  capture 170 

ninnber  captured 174 

whether  numliers  decreasing 174 

Pacific,  first  whaling  in  the 205 

Sperm  AVluile,  when   fir.st  captured  in..    209 

Panama  Grampus 104 

Parasitical  crustaceans 21 

Peru,  whaling-voyages  to  the  coast  of 210 

Pierce's  Bomb-lance  (run,  descriptimi  of...   228 

Pinnipedia 113-181 

food  of 113 

introduction  to  description  of 113 

mode  of  locomotion  of 113 

Poole,    Captain,    measurement    of    Bowhead 

Whale  by 53 

Porpoise,  Bay 95 

description  of 95 

habits  of 97 

measurements  of 90 

Bight-whale 101 

description  of 101 

habitat  of 101 

Striped  or  Common 98 

descriptiou  of 98 

habitat  of 98 

habits  of 98 

Post -offices,  whaleship 253 

Potttisch  (German  for  Sperm  Whale) 74 

Puget  Sound  Grampus 105 

Eight  Whale  of  the  North-western  Coast.. GG-69 

Bight  Whale  Porpoise 101 

Rotch,  William,  visit  to  England  and  Franco.  217 


INDEX. 


Ill 


Paok 

Roj-s,  Captain,  measurement  of  Suliiliiirbot- 

tom  by "0 

notice  of  "  Biincliliiu'ks"  unil  IJowlicadH.UO  (il 

San  Diego  Bay  Grampus 105 

Santa  Barbara  Island,  liuntin'^  Sea  Lions  on.   132 
Soammon's  Latfoon,  Cabfornia  (.irays  in...,      24 

' '  Scrimshawing  " 275 

Scoresby,  notice  of  N'aiwlial 108 

on  n\imber  of  whales  killed 18C 

Sea  Elephant 115-123 

color  of 1  lt> 

fishery,  extent  of  at  present  day 123 

form  of 11*> 

geographical  distribution  of 115 

habits  of U" 

measurements  of 115-110 

method  of  hunting  at  Herd's  Island.  120  122 

mode  of  capturing 118 

names  of  animals  of  different  ages Hi 

their  present  i)laccs  of  resort 110 

time  of  gestation  of 118 

Seal,  Banded 140 

Tur U1-1G3 

external  form  of 144 

fishery  of 148 

habits  of 140 

haunts  of 140 

manner  of  killing 100 

measurements  of 142 

method  of  capturing 153 

method  of  capturing   by  Indians...    154 

mode  of  curing  skins  of 101 

names  for  at  ditVcront  ages 141 

principal  resorts  of  at  present 155 

season  of 151 

tinu.  of  gestation i-ii 

use  of  flesh  of 103 

value  of  as  an  article  of  conm;erce.  144 

value  of  skins 102 

whether   producing   more    than    one 

voung  at  one  time 144 

Sea  Lion..' 124-139 

combats  of  for  females 131 

commercial  value  of 135 

dimensions  usually  exaggerated 130 

form  of 128 

genera  and  species  of 124 

geographical  distribution  of 124 

habits  of 130-135 

measurements  of 128-12!) 

pupping  season  of 131 


Padf 
Sea  Lion,  skill  of  in  leaping  down  rock.         133 
their    mode    of    capture    on    the    Asiatic 

shores  of  the  Pacitlc 137 

Seal,  Leopard 104-107 

habits  of 100 

how  captured 107 

size  of 104 

Sea  Otter,  Indian  mode  of  hunting 173 

"  Sea  squid  " 80 

Sharpheaded  Finncr  Whale 40-51 

Ships,    outfits,    and    manner    of    taking    the 

whale 2Hi 

Shore -hunting  of  Sea  Otter 172 

Smith,    Captain,    measurement    of    Bowlicad 

Whale  by 54 

South  America,  capture  of  the  Sea  Lion  on 

its  shores 138 

Southern  Right  Wiiale  grounds 215 

Stillman,  Dr.  J.  D.  13.,  notice  of  a  Sulphur- 
bottom  Whale 71 

St.  Paul's  Island,   Sea  Lions  on 13(i 

number  of  Fur  Seals  freipicntiug 101 

Striped  or  Common  Porpoise 08 

Sperm  Whale 74-84 

grounds 214 

Squareheaded  Grampus KKi 

Sulphurbottom  Whale 70-73 

Swift,  Captain  J.  H.,  notice  of  first  capture 

of  Bow  heads 00 

Tchantar  Bay,  whaling  in 0)2 

Vmbrella,    cotton,    used    in    capturing    Sea 

Lions 130 

Walrus 170-lSl 

capture  of 170 

contests  of  with  Polar  Bear 180 

decrease  in  numbers  of 181 

distribution  of 178 

f(jrm  of 170-177 

Whale,  Arctic  Bowhead,  parasites  of 57 

Bowhen^     ^>aleeii  of 55 

d.  .  1  i'^iion  of 52 

first  taken  in  Behring  Sea 213 

habitat   of 57 

habits  of 58 

herding -places  of 50 

length  of  time  under  water 57 

manner  of  feeding 54 

measurements  of 53 

oil  and  l)one  yield  of 52 

when  first  taken  in  the  Okhotsk  Sea.      00 
breeding -places  of 64 


IV 


INDEX. 


Whale,  Bowhead,  how  tlioy  lircoil (II 

Bowlioad  anil  Riylit,  manner  of  cuttini,'- 
iii  II 232 

California  Gray,  balocn  of 55 

doHcription  of 20 

en)l)rvos  of 21? 

fears  f)f  extiiiotion  of !iH 

food  of 21 

habitat  of 22 

habits  of 21,  :t2 

in  Arctic  ice -fields 31 

manner  of  imrsuing  and  cajitiirin;,'.  25 

measurements  of  a  male 2(1 

number  eaptmed 23 

number  mi^,natinj,' 23 

season  of  brinp^inj,'  forth  youn^,'....  25 

time  of  gestation  of 23 

yield  of  oil  of 21 

young  of 22 

Finback,  descriiition  of 34 

measurements  of 3-1: 

respiration  and  movements  of 35 

Northern 30 

Humpback,  anatomy  of 41 

baleen  of 55 

description  of 38 

habitat  of 4(i 

how  captured 4(i 

manner  of  suckling  young 45 

measurements  of 31) 

migration  of 42 

sexual  habits  of 45 

yield  of  oil  and  bone 40 

Right,  baleen  of 55,  (!C 

feed  of 54 

first    taken    on    the    North-western 

Coast 212 

habits  of 08 

resort  to  bring  forth  young (iT 

size  of 0(! 

wliere  and  how  captured 00-08 

yield  of  oil  of G() 

Sharpheaded  Finner,  description  of ,  .  .  .  41) 

habitat  and  habits  of 51 

measurements  of 50 

movements  and  fuitus  of 41) 

Sperm,  description  and  size  of 74 

ferocity  of 78 

habitat  of 77 

habits  of 75 

manner  of  cutting-iu  a 230 


Faok 

Whale,  Siierin,   manner  of   feeding 70 

niiuiner  of  siickliiig  young 74 

nature  of  fcnxl  of 80 

vessels  destroyed  by 78 

when  tirst  captured  in  the  Pacific. .    209 
wlien  tirst  <liscovered  on  the  Japan 

coast. 212 

yield  of  oil 7(i 

Sulphurbottom,  baleen  of 55 

fcillowing  a  vessel 71 

si/e  and  mode  of  capture  of.. 70,  72,  73 

where  found 71 

Whale,  how  approached 227 

how  captured    250 

manner   of    capture   and    trying -(uit   in 

early  days 101 

ships,  outfits,  and  manner  of  taking  tlie.    210 

Whale-boat,  how  manned 220 

descrijition  of  an  Es(piimaux 31 

Whale -lisliery,  .Vmericaii,  early  history  of.  .   202 

statistics  of  for  38  years 243 

AVlialo- Ashing,  origin  and  ancient  mode  of.   185 

Whale -grounds,  Northern  Right 214 

Southern  Right 215 

Sperm 214 

Whalemen,  Life  and  Characteristics  of  Amer- 
ican    252 

Whales,  by  whom   tirst  pursued 185 

ill  lagoons,  manner  of  taking 2(iO 

manner  of  signaling  direction  of 230 

number  captured 251 

passing  from   Atlantic  Arctic   to   I'acitic 

Arctic 50 

taken  off  Karaginski  Island 59 

Whale-ship,  again  to  the  frozen  seas 273 

distribution  of  officers  and  crew  of 222 

etpiipment  of 224 

how  made  up,  crew  of  a 255 

homeward  Ixuind 275 

outfit  of  a  first-class 313 

outward  bound 220 

post  -  offices 253 

routine  of  duty  on  a 229 

recptisites  for 221 

stores  and  outfits  of  a 313 

Whale-.ships,  eommunication  between 253 

eticjuette  of 254 

history  of  old 244 

where  recruited 258 

Whaling  among  the  Indians  of   the  North- 
western Coast 29 


L\Dl:X.  y 

''*'■"-  I'A..,: 

W  lulling',   U.iwlifiul (;i        WliuliiiM-,   ill  Trbiuitiir   ]5iiy (;2 

C.ilifnnii.i  sliore 247    |           in  the  I'licilic,  fust  . .' 2(t5 

l'iilif(.iiiiii  slioio,  how  proHcuttil 218               incichiiiits,  caily  AtiicTiniii 217 

.scene  of  17(i;i,  ilesciiiitioii  of 20.") 


ciiHualtics  of  coast 2H 


( 'onimeire,  Ameiiciiu 2-l()    j            station  at  Cannel  Bay 2.-)(t 

bc^finniii^r  of 1S5               voya{,'es  of  tlic  Dutcli  and  Englisli IHS 

decline  of   2-11    i            voya^fe,  iirepai-atioiis  for  a 2r.t 

'»    1''*^" 20!)    j            voyages  to  the  coast  of  I'eni 210 

Heet  of  the  woild  in   1812 212    '            where   prosecuted 2r)8 

f,'rounds  of  Indians.. :{()       Whitetlsh,  or  Wliite  AVhido \y.\ 

iiiilileinents  of  Indians    ;i0               ciiiitiire   of '.14 

Indian  manner  of :(()    :            description  of ;i:i 

ill  tlie   Hay  of  ^lonterey 44    '            measurenieiits  of 114 

ill  the  California  la^foons 251>               where  ob.served !);j 

ill  JIagdaleiia   Bay 270       ■NVhiteheaded,  or  Mottled  (irampus lu:! 


